Microsoft Israel promotes Windows Phone apps

Ten start-ups will meet top Microsoft Windows Phone executives.

The Microsoft Israel R&D Center is working with Nokia Ltd. (NYSE; LSE; HEX: NOK) to develop applications for Nokia's mobile platform. Microsoft Corporation's (Nasdaq: MSFT) alliance with Nokia has not yet resulted in Nokia phones with the Windows Phone 7 operating system, but the companies are seeking to encourage the development of applications. The objective is to offer a large number of applications concurrent with the launch of devices in late 2011 or early 2012.

The Microsoft Israel R&D Center and Nokia are holding Applications Week for Israeli developers to use Windows Phone 7. Ten start-ups are already participating and will meet top Microsoft Windows Phone executives. The five winners will receive a ₤40,000 grant to exhibit their products at the Microsoft applications store in the UK.

The start-ups include Lucky7 Labs, which has developed a voice operated space game; Home Radio is offering an application for listening to radio stations from all over the world; and Triapode has developed an application search engine, Appreciate.

Microsoft Israel VP strategy and business development Tzahi Weissfeld said, "It takes time to develop applications, and we don’t want to wait."

Although Microsoft has approached Israeli applications developers, it will have to work harder than Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) or Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) to persuade them to develop applications for Windows Phone, because Window Phone-operated mobile phones are rare in Israel as Israeli mobile carriers do not sell them and Windows Phone has no Hebrew support.

Weissfeld said, "The objective of Applications Week is to introduce the platform to developers. Hebrew will come as basic support of the system and not as a supplement, and it will happen fairly soon."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 24, 2011

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2011

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