This is Only a Test: Windows Phone 7 Prototypes Unveiled
Many have argued that if Microsoft is to catch up with the Apple’s and RIM’s of the mobile world, Windows Phone 7 might be their last chance. This past weekend, the new mobile operating system was unveiled on a select group of devices. Since this is only in the prototype phase, mobile testing remains at a critical juncture. InformationWeek’s Paul McDougall writes:
On Sunday, a company official revealed in a blog post that Windows Phone 7 has been undergoing extensive testing by Microsoft’s own employees. Terry Myerson, VP for Windows Phone Engineering, said more than 1,000 Microsoft workers have been using Windows Phone 7 devices “as their only phone” for the past several months. “We’ve been testing usability, battery life, network connectivity, and many other metrics for a long time,” wrote Meyerson.
Microsoft earlier this month made beta versions of Windows Phone 7 development tools available to application writers. Most of the tools are versions of standard Microsoft developer tools that have been modified for mobile environments.
For most companies, relying on in-house employees to test your mobile software is generally a very bad idea. That said, most companies don’t have 1000 employees to test their products. In other words, most companies aren’t Microsoft. So for that, we’ll grant them an exception.
In preparation for the official release, Asus, LG and Samsung have already shipped their smartphone versions to mobile application developers. McDougall reminds us that Microsoft is planning to launch an app store of its own and that it is “crucial that a rich selection of software is available for the platform at launch if Microsoft and its partners are to keep up with the latest offerings from Apple and Google.”
So will Windows Phone 7 be enough to get Microsoft back on the mobile leader board? If so, what role is testing likely to play?
