MWC you later

MWC 2009 was the first since the launch of Samsung Mobile Innovator. And for us, apart from shirt pockets torn from the weight of too many businesses cards, phones and stand goodies, it was an overwhelming success.

We were at the event to announce the launch of our Windows Mobile and Java forums. The timing could not have been better as cross-platform development is definitely a hot topic.

Multiple platforms are here to stay and it's our job to make it as easy as possible to target Samsung devices while maximising the rich features and APIs specific to each platform and device. Sanj Matharu, my colleague in the Global Relations area covered this while participating in Monday's App Garage panel sessions and it’s definitely something we’ll be addressing on Mobile Innovator in the coming months.

Apart from the addition of two new platforms (be sure to check the Mobile Innovator site this Friday), Samsung announced the Omnia HD – a device which will really raise the bar on what consumers can expect in a phone – and Samsung’s first Symbian-powered touch device. It was great to see this phone being put through its paces running some of our Core Partner’s latest offerings including games from EA (Need for Speed) and Digital Legends (Kroll) and demonstrations from Imagination whose Open GLeS technology gives the Omnia HD graphics capabilities never before seen on a mobile device. Expect to see all the resources and tools you’ll need to develop on this infotainment powerhouse available on Mobile Innovator shortly.

At the Samsung pavilion we were located alongside Samsung’s software solutions. There were two offerings which really stuck in my mind in terms of how they might benefit Mobile Innovator members.

The first was a Widget SDK which considering how crucial this technology is becoming to the mobile UI experience, will be a welcome addition to any developer’s toolkit.

The second was a cross-platform PC studio, meaning device users can use it as a common interface between their PC and ANY Samsung mobile device. I had a quick play and this is definitely a giant leap forward from the current drag ‘n’ drop interface - very elegant and simple to use.

We'll have more about these soon...