Microsoft teams with SingTel to encourage Windows Mobile Application developers

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 04 June 2008 04:36

Business IT - Technology

Microsoft signalled its entry into the 'Telco 2.0' world in July 2007 when in launched the Connected Services Sandbox , billed as "an initiative to help promote [our] Telco 2.0 vision of delivering scores of new service offerings that merge traditional telecommunications offerings with Web 2.0 applications."

In April 2008 Microsofft announced another significant foray into the mobile market with the launch of new software products for mobile network operators designed to help them manage the growing number of Windows Mobile OS based devices on their networks and provide additional services to users of these devices.

Under this initial SingTel-sponsored project qualified ISVs and developers are being invited to create business applications which will be entered in the GSMA Innovator Awards, in the Most Innovative Vertical Application category, with the winner to be announced at the Mobile Asia Congress in Macau November 18-20. SingTel will provide technical and commercial guidance to support project development teams. Microsoft says that future projects are being planned for other scenarios,

The programme is aimed at smaller player. To qualify, developers and ISVs must have annual revenues not exceeding $US20 million and must not be owned by a publicly traded company or subsidiary, or mobile operator. Proposals will be evaluated according to a set of criteria that includes market potential, scalability, ease of use, ease of deployment, customer demand and originality. More information at http://www.networkmashups.com/ .