New Windows Phone 7.5 is here: developer update and training events announced

Mango is here! Yesterday Microsoft released Windows Phone 7.5 to the public.
As a developer, get ready for new opportunities and some announcements around Windows Phone events in Belgium.

Below you can find a cross-posting from my colleague David Hernie’s blog:

Yesterday the Windows Phone team announced that the next version of Windows Phone is ready to go. It’s a major release and it offers hundreds of new features for the phone, marketplace and for developers.  You can find here the official blog post from the Windows Phone team Blog. Microsoft has the goal of making the update available to 98% of phone customers worldwide within four weeks. You can check on the status of the update release schedule on the “Where’s My Phone Update?” table on the Windows Phone website. .

 

What’s hot for Belgian users?

We add Internet sharing, Twitter and LinkedIn integration to the People Hub, enhanced communication with Groups and Threaded Messaging, a fast and beautiful Web experience with hardware accelerated IE9, multitasking, more integrated apps for connecting with the people in our lives. In addition, with Mango we have a NL version of phone and marketplace. Moreover, customers can now purchase an app from the Web and that app can be automatically downloaded over-the-air to their Windows Phone 7.5 devices.

What’s hot for Belgian developers?

First, we’ve simplified payout and taxes administration by eliminating the need to provide an ITIN on your W-8 to take advantage of a reduced withholding rate. A blog post will follow with the new simplified procedure and we will organize a webcast for your Q&A in November.. Stay tune #wp7be or #wp7dev or follow David Then, Microsoft Advertising solution for Windows Phone is now available in Belgium. It means MORE Windows Phone developers can make MORE money from in-app advertising and get paid locally. Want to know how to do it – Follow our WP7 technical training: Oct 25-26 in French at the MIC Mons or Nov 9- 10 in English at the MIC Brussels – Check here for all WP7 technical training organized in Belgium Moreover, you can now publish your Mango apps. One remark – your existing Windows Phone apps are not automatically available for the Mango Marketplace. You need to manually resubmit your app for Mango and NL market

What should you do?

Upgrade your phone Download the latest version of the developer tools : https://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=27570 and code Sample: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff431744(v=VS.92).aspx Participate to our local online/offline event to be ready : https://msdn.microsoft.com/ Develop & publish or republish your great apps, we will help you to promote it through the marketplace and our brand new website  ‘The Belgium Windows Phone Page‘ (NL) or (FR).

Last point, save the date!

Oct 25- 26 (French version) Nov 9-10 (English version)- Were organizing 2 deep development technical trainings. No marketing stuff, just 2 days to learn how to develop, publish and promote your Windows Phone 7 Apps. We will lend you phones to test your development, help you to promote your app, understand concept of the Live tiles – Cloud integration or how to use the Advertising SDK and get more revenue. It’s free – all details are here : WP7 technical training organized in Belgium Nov 3 – We’re organizing a big event in Belgium. “The UX tour” all you want to know about Design, HTML5, Web & Phone with international speakers and latest technology trends. Stay tuned, more info is coming..