"T-Mobile USA, a leading provider of wireless services, wanted to create new mobile software to simplify communications for families. The company needed to implement the application and its server infrastructure while facing a tight deadline. T-Mobile decided to build the solution with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional and base it on Windows Phone 7 and the Windows Azure platform. By taking advantage of an integrated development environment and cloud services, the company completed the project in just six weeks. Using a cloud platform instead of maintaining physical servers has also simplified management. As a result, developers have more time available to focus on enhancing the application. Customers will benefit from a streamlined, reliable communications solution with strong security, and T-Mobile is already designing new features for users to enjoy."
What happens when you put Windows Azure, Windows Phone 7, T-Mobile, and a creative development company together? An interesting application dubbed "Family Room" - think micro-social networking. I think it's a brilliant concept, because although it's yet "another" venue for communication, the fact that it's so focused can make it quite useful to the right groups of people.
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I'm just going to copy and paste my reply from the other blog that had this story a couple days ago.
I feel COMPELLED to explain to T-Mobile and pretty much ALL the application developers for WinPH7 exactly where they are MISSING THE BOAT here. It's getting really annoying at this point because WinPh7 IS different than the other platforms, and the developers are really missing the point here. If I am to even consider using "Family Room". It needs to PUSH notifications to me. Why can NONE of the developers SEE THIS!!!
When I scroll through my home screen, I only pay attention to the apps that are telling me something! New txts, new mail, new phone call, new calendar appointments, new updates for my existing marketplace apps., weatherbug app tells me the current temperature and pushes notifications to me about weather alerts!
ALL my other apps just sit there waiting for ME to go to THEM. News360 doesn't inform me of any breaking news, Project Sunburst isn't telling me I have a freak invasion I need to pay attention to, facebook doesn't push notifications to me, twitter isn't telling me I have new tweets, twit isn't informing me that there are new podcasts to listen to, and xbox live isn't telling me I have new messages!
What the hell is going on here? Why isn't the best part of this phone being exploited? I can only imagine that they are completely f-ing clueless, or there is something about the current development environment that prevents it. I have to belive both Facebook AND Twitter would already be doing it, if it could be done.
So what has to be fixed here? SCREW copy and paste! Give me PUSH for my home screen apps!
As for Family Room? I'm not going to even touch that icon, because it's not telling me that my family has posted a calendar appointment, or my kid has left me a message unless I go to it. Totally missing the point!
Sorry if I sound like I'm moaning and groaning here, but if not here where? If I don't sound fed up won't the companies continue to plod along at this stupid pace? Come on, get with the program man! The Phone is here NOW, and the time is NOW.
JF
What the hell is going on here? Why isn't the best part of this phone being exploited? I can only imagine that they are completely f-ing clueless, or there is something about the current development environment that prevents it. I have to belive both Facebook AND Twitter would already be doing it, if it could be done.
So, really, it's up to developers to address this - but the ease at which it can be addressed is the root problem...so perhaps Microsoft needs to come up with some sort of service for developers to leverage.
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Another problem with the push implementation is the 15 app limit, this is too low for me as a user, and as a Dev, I don't want my app relying on something that my app may not have available, not that I don't think its useful, but it needs tweaks, an easy dev story and a higher cap for the end-user
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Current: Kacey's Wing, T-mo Wing Past: GCM_T, T-Mobile MDA
Windows Phone 7 + Azure + T-Mobile + Developer = Family Room
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