With the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and Developer Tools being widely available for the past few weeks and with previews of great, immersive Metro style apps like Cut the Rope, The Telegraph, Flixster, Evernote and a tonne more already in the Windows Store we’ve received quite a number of questions about when UK developers can start building Windows 8 apps and get them into the Store.

The simple answer is: build it now

The Windows Store is not yet open for general app submission. However…

If you are interested in getting your app into the Store before or soon after general availability then your local UK MSDN team can help in getting a registration code that is needed for submission to the Store.

For those people with application plans;

1. You apply to join our UK Windows 8 for Application Developer LinkedIn Group. 
2. We will reply asking you for some details of what it is you are building and then admit you into the group.
3. You build a great app following the guidance that we have online and which meets the Store certification requirements.
4. We will use the LinkedIn Group to invite you to an Application Excellence Lab at Microsoft in Reading where you’ll work with an engineer to ensure certification requirements are being met and that the app is providing a great experience to the user.
5. You leave the lab with a registration code that lets you begin the app submission process at the Windows Store.

In addition to that process, we’d encourage everyone to come along to one of our events or camps ( camp details will be announced soon on this blog) where you can talk through this process in person and also apply to join our LinkedIn Group which we’ll use to share the details of the app excellence labs.

Note that the availability of labs is limited and invitations will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis but this will in no way limit your ability to submit an application via the regular submission process once the Store is open for general availability.