Microsoft and Telefonica have announced a collaboration that creates new possibilities for application development across PC, TV, mobile and beyond, enabled by Telefonica’s new BlueVia developer platform.
BlueVia software development kit (SDK) for .NET offers a range of developer tools, including the Microsoft .NET Framework, Microsoft Silverlight and Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, specifically enhanced for the design and creation of applications that integrate BlueVia APIs, such as short message service (SMS), advertising and user contextual information. The SDK includes Windows Azure, Microsoft’s open cloud platform, for the creation of Internet-scale applications with no initial investment in infrastructure required by developers. 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.
“BlueVia is looking to revolutionize the world of communications by opening up Telefonica’s network capabilities to the world’s largest established community of software developers familiar with .NET Framework,” 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 valuable entertainment and productivity to 280 million Telefonica customers worldwide.”
BlueVia SDK for .NET is a set of drag-and-drop controls and templates for Visual Studio 2010 that provides an intuitive development environment for developers. Windows Azure 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 key functionality such as user identity and contacts, to allow for the creation of real-time, programmable voice and data communications services that leverage social-networking capabilities.
“This relationship with Telefonica is an incredible opportunity for our worldwide community of developers to build mobile applications that serve millions of customers,” said Tony Mestres, vice president, Consumer Channels, Communications Sector at Microsoft. “Given the combined capabilities — and richness — of Visual Studio 2010, Microsoft Silverlight, Internet Explorer, Windows Azure, Windows Phone 7, Windows 7 and Windows Live services, we believe there are huge prospects for innovation in connected consumer experiences and the cloud. We can’t wait to see what our developer community comes up with.”