Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer AP Microsoft openly pays developers up front for writing Windows Phone 8 apps.

The company right now has an offer to pay $100 for any app that gets published in the Windows store by the end of the month. But there's a cap: up to $2,000 per developer.

Word is that Microsoft is offering some developers way more than that, as much $100,000 to bring their apps to Windows Phone 8. This tidbit was first reported by Bloomberg's Ashlee Vance, but its been confirmed by two sources contacted by Business Insider.

The move makes sense for Microsoft. Its Windows Phone 8 operating system for smartphones doesn't have strong app selection like Apple's iPhone and Google's Android phones do. Apps are very important to many smartphone customers, and it's a big challenge for Microsoft to convince people to buy Windows Phones if its app store doesn't have the apps they want.

Paying developers to make new apps on Windows Phone is just one strategy to beef up the app selection.

And when it comes to Windows Phone 8, Microsoft has proven that has deep pockets and is willing to reach into them. Microsoft entered into a multi-year agreement with Nokia, paying it $1 billion a year to make Windows phones. $100,000 here and there to an app developer seems like chump change in comparison.