LONDON — March 28, 2011 — Today, Microsoft Corp. and Telefonica S.A. announced a collaboration that creates new possibilities for application development across PC, TV, mobile and beyond, powered by Telefonica’s new BlueVia developer platform. BlueVia software development kit (SDK) for .NET offers a range of rich 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.
Select independent software vendors have tested BlueVia SDK for .NET ahead of launch, and apps already created include these:
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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.
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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.
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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.
“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.”
About Telefonica
Telefonica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world in terms of market capitalisation. Its activities are centered mainly on the fixed and mobile telephony businesses with broadband as the key tool for the development of both.
The company has a significant presence in 25 countries and a customer base that amounts to 287.6 million accesses around the world. Telefonica has a strong presence in Spain, Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth strategy.
Telefonica is a 100 percent listed company, with more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Its share capital currently comprises 4.563.996.485 ordinary shares traded on the Spanish Stock Market (Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia) and on those in London, Tokyo, New York, Lima, Buenos Aires and São Paulo.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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