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The killer app for getting users organized

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Hopefully by now, most of you have already seen some of the very cool WinFS demos (PDC 2005 Real Estate Demo, WinFS iWish Video) that we've built. Microsoft recently made a decision to productize some of these ideas into a new application - currently codenamed Project Orange. Unfortunately, I can't say much publicly about exactly what Project Orange is yet, but I can use this opportunity for a shameless recruiting plug. If you're excited about the opportunity to develop a new application for people to organize their information - entirely build on the new storage platform (WinFS) and new presentation platform (WPF, AKA Avalon) - check out job postings here: UI PM, Product Designer, Schema PM, SDET, Schema SDET, SDE, SDE, SDE Lead, Schema SDE Lead, or the many other jobs in WinFS-land!

 

Just to tease your curiosity, I've pasted in a couple of the descriptions here:

 

UI Program Manager

Do you want to help users finally get organized? Are you tired of working on standard usability challenges and excited by the chance to work on a whole new user paradigm for information management? Think that you have an eye for the “killer app” for a new platform? Did you ever want to work in a fast paced, start-up environment but still be involved with a project with huge impact? Do you want your work to ship to hundreds of millions of Windows users? Do you think Windows Presentation Foundation (AKA Avalon) and WinFS offer a truly new world for applications?

 

If so, Project Orange may be the right fit for you! Project Orange is a brand new team tasked with building a next-generation Information Explorer based on WinFS and WPF (AKA Avalon) to help users finally get organized. This is a soup-to-nuts project focused on defining a breakthrough user experience for users to unify, organize, and explore their data in meaningful new ways. WinFS and WPF offer dramatic new opportunities for information management by merging the traditional world of relational databases with end user data and offering new opportunities for interaction & visualization.

 

We are looking for a unique person that can blend skills from usability, design, and program management to spearhead definition of this new application. Successful candidates will be creative and be drawn to solving end-user interaction design problems in radical new ways.

 

Candidate should be experienced in the process and execution of user-centered interface design and presentation. Since this will be a small, fast-moving team, candidates should be strong multi-taskers who are able to balance work on multiple areas simultaneously. Experience working on UI design, data visualization, V1 projects / startups, and end-user desktop applications is a big plus. Candidate should either have a degree or significant work experience in Design (interaction design, industrial design, visual communications, or related field), HCI, Human Factors or something similar. Please be prepared to provide a portfolio for review. A BS/MS degree in Computer Science or related technical field would be bonus but is not required.

 

Software Development Engineer

Have you ever wanted to work in a start-up? Want to work on a fast-paced project with huge impact?

 

We're looking for talented and motivated developers who: have an eye for the "killer apps" for a new platform, want to help overcome the hurdle of information management for end-users, and are excited by the idea of finally delivering a relational filesystem in Windows. If so, we may be the team for you!

 

The WinFS team is starting up a new effort to build a killer application for WinFS. This is a soup-to-nuts project focused on defining a breakthrough user experience for users to unify, organize, and explore their data in meaningful new ways. Successful candidates will be creative and be drawn to solving end-user problems in radical new ways. Candidates should relish the opportunity to work on bleeding-edge technologies such as WinFX, Avalon and WinFS, and stay up to speed on a rapidly changing technology base. Since this will be a small, fast-moving team, candidates should have strong multitasking skills, be able to balance work on multiple projects simultaneously, and have the ability to take on planning and strategic tasks.

 

There will be ample opportunity for personal career development, with everyone on the team exposed to new challenges as part of the WinFS integrated storage project. A successful candidate will have excellent technical and communication skills, work well with other teams, will have successfully shipped product(s), and will have a strong customer focus.

 

Experience working on UI design, data visualization, Windows Shell extensions, V1 projects / startups, and end-user applications is a big plus. Two years of development experience; strong background in C#, C and C++; demonstrated experience shipping high quality products. Database and systems development experience is a plus, but not absolutely required. A BS/MS degree in Computer Science or related technical field preferred.

 

If you’re interested, you can use the career site or hit the email link on the right side of this page.

 

Author: Shishir Mehrotra

Comments

  • Anonymous
    May 16, 2006
    I knew you guys were up to something big. !!! NEAT !!

  • Anonymous
    May 19, 2006
    Sin duda esta puede ser la ocupación soñada por la mayoria de los programadores del mundo....

  • Anonymous
    May 19, 2006
    PingBack from http://blog.23corner.com/2006/05/19/1514/

  • Anonymous
    May 19, 2006
    Shared Source ???, Here is an idea

    Build the new project under a shared source, open source program, something like Paint.NET, but in this case allow the people to submit their bugs and additions to the code too, would be nice.

    And since Avalon/WinFS is MS only, I don’t think there will be a problem with the licensing :-)

  • Anonymous
    May 21, 2006
    Does this recruitment drive to design a killer application imply that WinFS has been pushed further into future than somewhen 2007?

  • Anonymous
    May 22, 2006
    Mario, here is my best guess:

    1) This announcement is positive in that it's indicative of good progress on and commitment to the platform.

    2) I think the Client app with release in a pahse one with the WinFS release or shortly there after. The really big release of the Client app would come in Vista R2.

    This is just speculation.

    I'm really excited. I can't wait to get my hands on beta 2.  

  • Anonymous
    May 23, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 01, 2006
    PingBack from http://distilled.wordpress.com/2006/06/02/project-orange/

  • Anonymous
    June 10, 2006
    Since we have our conference on Content Technologies for Government in Washington this week I probably will not get to...

  • Anonymous
    June 19, 2006
    Your article is prety nice. It's a pity that i didn't see it more later.

  • Anonymous
    June 20, 2006
    Persone los pioneros non rabata. Great...

  • Anonymous
    June 21, 2006
    dear sushir malhotra,

    i am interested to try coding with ur sdk. but i am not a MSDN subscriber! is there a way that i could get 1.
    and is there a chance to work with ur team as an intern atleast!
    i hav emailed ur team couple of times.. but little responses!
    wish to hear from u soon..

    urs sincerely
    shiva
    MS Student Partner

  • Anonymous
    June 24, 2006
    PingBack from http://www.osreview.com/2006/06/24/the-sad-tale-of-winfs-and-the-vista-user-experience/

  • Anonymous
    June 26, 2006
    There's been a lot of discussion about the recent decision not to ship WinFS as a distinct product, but...

  • Anonymous
    October 26, 2006
    PingBack from http://www.mexico501.com/2006/10/26/microsofts-project-orange-winfs-applications/

  • Anonymous
    October 26, 2006
    PingBack from http://www.money501.com/200610263214/microsofts-project-orange-winfs-applications/

  • Anonymous
    January 21, 2009
    PingBack from http://www.keyongtech.com/4485107-orcas-and-highlander/3