Microsoft has been working on improving its roster of apps, which has persistently been branded as bland and lackluster. Taking the criticism a step further, the Redmond company is looking into bringing in more third-party app developers to help bolster its selection. The apps will also be able to benefit from the software company's initiative, as they will be made available to the Windows port a lot more easily.

PC Mag has reported that the company is eyeing iOS developers in open sourcing Windows Bridge. The Windows Bridge is essentially the means with which Windows can help developers cross their apps over to the Windows platform. The tool has been introduced by Microsoft in its Microsoft Build 2015 conference. While the company is reported to be eyeing iOS at the moment, Android developers can also bring their wares to the Windows platform.

Today, August 7, the software giant has introduced an early version of the Windows Bridge for iOS. The iteration was previously called "Project Islandwood". It is announced as an open source project, and its components are now available for download.

The project is still in its early stages, with Microsoft calling it "a work in progress." The company announced that some features of the project that have been seen on the Microsoft Build, in which it was announced, are not yet ready. The software company also expressed that it is looking forward to seeing interested developers to "look at the bridge, and compare what we're building to your app's requirements." The company also invited those it called "truly ambitious" to contribute to the project as community contributors. They will participate with source codes, bug reports, and tests, among other things.

Android app developers will have to wait for their turn. After Microsoft has fixed and launched the final beta for the iOS bridge, it will be introducing the Android version of the bridge. No date has been set as of yet.