Windows Phone Thoughts: Windows Phone 7 + Azure + T-Mobile + Developer = Family Room

"T-Mobile USA, a leading provider of wireless services, wanted to create new mobile software to simplify communications for families. The company needed to implement the application and its server infrastructure while facing a tight deadline. T-Mobile decided to build the solution with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional and base it on Windows Phone 7 and the Windows Azure platform. By taking advantage of an integrated development environment and cloud services, the company completed the project in just six weeks. Using a cloud platform instead of maintaining physical servers has also simplified management. As a result, developers have more time available to focus on enhancing the application. Customers will benefit from a streamlined, reliable communications solution with strong security, and T-Mobile is already designing new features for users to enjoy."

What happens when you put Windows Azure, Windows Phone 7, T-Mobile, and a creative development company together? An interesting application dubbed "Family Room" - think micro-social networking. I think it's a brilliant concept, because although it's yet "another" venue for communication, the fact that it's so focused can make it quite useful to the right groups of people.