The highlight of the Conference was the launch of the .NET Compact Framework, a subset of the .NET Framework, that is designed to run on smart devices and provide support for XML Web services and managed code, explained Juha Christensen, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Mobility Group.

The .NET Compact Framework greatly reduces the development cost of writing applications and services for smartphones and PDAs. Because it provides the same classes on devices as on the desktop, .NET developers can write applications for PocketPC devices, and the next-generation of Windows CE.NET-powered devices, as easily as they do for desktops and servers, Christensen said.

When asked what message Microsoft delivered to developers at the Conference, Christensen said the company stressed that the development skills, tools, and standards they have applied in the wireline world are transferable to the emerging world of wireless data.

To ensure the quality of software and services for Windows-powered devices, the software giant introduced a new program dedicated to the certification of wireless applications for Windows-enabled PocketPCs and smartphones. Dubbed the Mobile2Market, the program will supply ISVs and mobile operators with a streamlined infrastructure for the certification and deployment of reliable mobile applications, Christensen said. Besides certification, the program will also open up new channels for selling applications to network operators.

For more information: http://www.microsoft.com