Microsoft Crosses Telecoms and Web 2.0

Both registered Microsoft partners and independent developers can take part in the Mashup Service Design and Development competition. Each participant will try to create a design of a new hybrid service (mashup), as well as a functional prototype based on this interface. Thus, the competition will consist of two stages.

1. Creative Mashup Design Competitions. The idea is demonstrated with the help of specifications, diagrams, graphic images).
2. The Assembly Competitions. Finished working prototypes based on the best ideas.

As examples of such “hybrids”, one can cite the integration of SMS and cartographic Internet services (for example, receiving a street map on a mobile phone by street name), shopping on Amazon or eBay.
')
The winners of the competition will receive various prizes, including cash bonuses ranging from $ 2,500 to $ 25,000. The jury will include Microsoft employees, as well as representatives of British Telecom and other telecoms who are interested in implementing similar Web 2.0 services. Actually, it is for them that Microsoft holds this competition. It is assumed that telecommunications companies that are partners and customers of Microsoft will be able to choose interesting developments and implement something similar.

Microsoft has been marketing its Connected Services Framework (CSF) system for telecom operators for three years now, but it is still not in special demand. Telecoms do not quite understand what to do with it, and how to use Web 2.0 in their activities.



Mikhail Kozlov, who is responsible for promoting CSF in Russia, describes this system as follows :

The CSF platform is designed to create and flexibly manage the services of telecom operators, integrates with existing OSS and BSS systems, as well as with the network infrastructure, allowing you to easily organize invoicing to customers and activation of services in various combinations and tariff plans. With its help, network operators will be able to quickly provide their customers with a wide range of existing and planned Microsoft products, including instant messaging, email, video, audio conferencing, IP television, computers as a service with high-speed Internet access, and media content. and mapping services, as well as significantly faster to develop new services by customizing and integrating products of any suppliers based on web services.

In addition, telecom operators will be able to combine existing services as part of special packages designed for specific market segments. Such an approach on the part of Microsoft gives network operators the ability to quickly implement the most popular service scenarios without having to integrate services with network levels and network management every time, implement them faster, and invest in the development of funds with maximum efficiency - in building software. truly unique and valuable services based on a basic platform.