Microsoft and Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica have announced a collaboration intended to create application development streams across the PC, TV, and mobile arena powered by Telefonica's new BlueVia developer platform. The BlueVia software development kit (SDK) includes the .NET Framework, Microsoft Silverlight, Windows Azure, and Visual Studio 2010, all of which are specifically enhanced for applications that integrate BlueVia APIs, such as short message service (SMS), advertising, and user contextual information.
"This collaboration project combines telco functionality from Telefonica with Microsoft's experience in web development and the cloud, to help drive innovation in applications and services in a simple and frictionless way," said Vivek Dev, director of global new services, Telefonica. "Our partnership with Microsoft will accelerate BlueVia's reach and extend our presence beyond mobile into PC, TV, and gaming platforms. Combining our assets will create applications that bring entertainment and productivity to 280 million Telefonica customers worldwide."
In essence, BlueVia SDK for .NET is a set of drag-and-drop controls and templates for Visual Studio 2010. It allows developers to host their applications in the cloud and supports multiple developer languages including .NET, Java, PHP, Ruby, and Python. Apps hosted on Windows Azure can also be published to Windows Phone 7, Windows 7-based PCs, slates and netbooks, Internet Explorer 9, Xbox 360, and other device platforms. Controls for Windows Live enable developers to access functionality such as user identity and contacts, to allow for the creation of real-time, programmable voice, and data communications services that connect to social-networking capabilities.
Independent software vendors have tested BlueVia SDK for .NET ahead of launch, and apps already created include:
- Medianet, in partnership with Tweetalondoncab, has developed TAXISTOP, a passenger booking and fleet management app for smartphones using the .NET Framework and Windows Azure, and extending functionality to include feature phones by leveraging BlueVia's SMS API while cutting typical development lead times by up to 30 percent.
- Schakra has developed GoGoStat Connect, an app for managing how different people reach you at different times or in different locations and situations, whether through phone, text, social media, or email. GoGoStat Connect is built for Windows Phone 7, hosted on Windows Azure, and uses SMS from BlueVia to blend social media activity with mobile communications and web services.
- Cooliris has developed LiveShare, a new, live, and hyperpersonal way to communicate within shared groups using media streams on mobile and Web. The LiveShare app is designed to fully leverage the capabilities of Windows Phone 7 and Windows Azure within the BlueVia SDK for .NET, along with SMS from BlueVia, for unique media-sharing experiences at scale to Telefonica network users worldwide.
