Microsoft Releases Windows Azure Toolkits for Smartphones

Microsoft has announced a set of toolkits to further enable developers to build device applications that take advantage of Windows Azure, the Windows Azure Toolkits for Devices.

Microsoft announced Windows Azure Toolkits for Devices, consisting of assets for Windows Phone, iOS and a preview of tools for Android. Using the toolkits, developers can use the cloud to accelerate the creation of applications on the major mobile platforms. Companies, including Groupon, are taking advantage to create a unified approach to cloud-to-mobile user experience.

“At Groupon, we recognize that people aren’t tied to their computers and want to get deals—whenever and wherever they happen to be,” Michael Shim, vice president of Mobile Business Developer & Partnerships at Groupon, said in a statement. “Taking advantage of the Windows Azure Toolkits for Mobile Devices, we can rely on a common back-end to create consistent, next-generation mobile experiences like real-time notification services that integrate into each phone’s home screen and app experience.”

In a blog post on new toolkits, S. “Soma” Somasegar, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Developer Division, said:

    More and more applications that are being built today touch the cloud in some way, shape or form.  It could be as simple as consuming a service or some data that resides on the cloud. It could be writing parts of the app logic on the cloud. In a world where we believe in a set of connected experiences across a variety of devices, the cloud plays an integral role. I have been talking for a while now about Windows Azure as a great back-end for application experiences that span multiple platforms and devices. Putting data and logic within Azure services means each device application you write has less unique code, so you can reach more consumers, faster.

For more, read the eWEEK article: Microsoft Launches Windows Azure Toolkits for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.