Aussie developers talk Windows Phone 7

Jenna Pitcher
Monday, 06 September 2010 13:15

Your IT - Mobility

The impending launch of Windows Phone 7 handsets before Christmas period represents another rich option for Australian mobile application and game developers. But what is it like developing for the new Microsoft platform?

Australian developers from Xamling and Fairfax discussed their experience developing on the new platform and the implications for Aussie developers on the sidelines of Microsoft's Tech.Ed conference on the Gold Coast this year.

Xamling is a startup company, fronted by brothers Jordan (lead developer) and Alex (lead designer) Knight. Xamling's first Windows Phone 7 project was to develop Telstra's flagship application The TelstraOne hub '” a news, sports, weather and application portal '” that will be featured on Windows Phone 7 handsets obtained through Telstra.

Fairfax has an application in development on the handset for real estate website Domain '” one of the publishers' many websites. The project is headed by Fairfax Classifieds technology director, Matthew Faries. Several of Fairfax's sites are based on Microsoft's .NET development platform.

Xamling and Fairfax were one of the first few Australian developers to get their mitts on the handset, so what was their experience like?

'It was really good,' said Jordan Knight. 'We were basically full Silverlight developers before the phone came. When it came out we were like, 'we have this new platform, this new target' so we jumped on there and tried to transfer our skills on to it.'