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Microsoft at the Orange Code Camp |
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Written by Brody
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Thursday, 16 September 2004 |
As part of the coverage of the Orange Code Camp i was asked to report on the 'Operating Systems and Execution Environments' sessions which included presentations by Orange, Symbian and last but by no means least, Microsoft. Being interested in the Smartphone and Windows Mobile platform I was obviously very keen to get to as many Microsoft sessions as I could as well as speaking to their representatives at any available opportunity. After an hour or two at the Microsoft stand in the main hall I found Marcus Perryman very helpful and easy to talk to, he even let me have a play with an MPx220 as well as another device or two that we wonÂ’t speak of! We had a good chat about current issues with the platform, as well as any development questions that we had and I found that both he and a non-Microsoft employee named Tony who took some of the Microsoft sessions both approachable and well educated when it comes to the development of Windows Mobile applications using the .NET Compact Framework. In all I attended three of the four Microsoft sessions (one was a repeat session) which included an introduction to the platform, a general session related to development of applications in managed code and a more in depth session that described, amongst other things, the security policies of the Smartphone and how to make calls and send SMS messages in your third party applications. I'm sure you'll agree all subjects mentioned are both informative and well worth attending sessions for. So I found it very odd to read this article on NewsWireless.net which talks of the complete lack of sessions and Microsoft staff at the Orange Code Camp! It even says, and I quote, 'where were the Microsoft sessions? What, there were none?'. At this point I'm beginning to wonder if Guy Kewney, the author of the article was aware of the Code Camp schedule that was at the front desk in leaflet form and on many of the walls around the building! There were four sessions held by Microsoft, as previously mentioned, one was a repeat so that makes three individual and unique sessions presented by Microsoft. Having attended all of them and spoken to the Microsoft representatives I feel that I have to stand up for them against NewsWireless.net's article, itÂ’s simply not true!
Their article goes on to read 'But if you look at the programme for the day you'll discover no Microsoft 'Windows Mobile 2003' sessions'! Well their link on the words 'programme for the day' take you here. This is the schedule that i have in my hands as I write this article, OK it doesn't say 2003 but it sure says Windows Mobile! See the picture below, is Guy Kewney basing his article purely on the fact that the title of the Microsoft sessions didn't include the four numbers 2, 0, 0 and 3? If so then maybe I should stop writing!?
The image above shows the Microsoft sessions, I've underlined the word Microsoft with a big red line each time that it occurs with regard to Windows Mobile Development, not that I really needed to, itÂ’s easy enough to spot! Microsoft not only held sessions based on Windows Mobile Development but they gave out project files on disc, help booklets, 60 day trials of Visual Studio .NET, Compact Framework tools CDÂ’s and OÂ’Reilly .NET Compact Framework books to allow the attendees the opportunity to take part in hands-on coding sessions! It has to be said that the Microsoft sessions where full too, not merely attended by the odd attendee but full to the extent of people having to stand or sit on the floor as a result of the seating being taken.
NewsWireless.net's article goes on to quote some of the attendee's of the Orange Code Camp saying:
'Microsoft? It has taken its eye off the ball on mobile. They're focused, instead, on media,' said one developer.'
Another said: 'Microsoft is only interested in content these days, and nothing is happening on mobile.'
Yikes, if that were true then Microsoft would be criticised deservedly but its simply not the case, Microsoft has built its success in recent years on the power of the community, this is a fact that was re-iterated to me in the taxi on the way from the Code Camp to Poitiers train station on my trip home by Tony, the non-Microsoft speaker at the Microsoft sessions. He also confirmed that numerous attendees had been very complimentary with regard to their sessions, a feeling that I endorse. So why do I feel so opposed to NewsWireless.net's article, well firstly if they are stating that there were no Windows Mobile session then they obviously didn't attend any of them! If that's the case then how can they be so critical!? Having attended all of them as well as spending hours talking to the Microsoft representatives I would like to think that I am in a better position to discuss Microsoft's input to the Orange Code Camp, as such I'd like to say well done to Microsoft and warn readers of various news sites to not believe everything they read, seek assurances that articles written are backed up at least with some hard facts, in this case IÂ’d think it fair to assume that attendance at Microsoft's presentations would be a must!
Edit - 16/09/04 PM
We're linked to by NewsWireless.net on the word public in the following quote:
'Don't you hate it when you screw up, in public?'
At least they made a subtle retraction with the inclusion of the link, many wouldn't have! |
