Windows 7 Professional Microsoft touts 300,000 Win

As Microsoft methods its fall Windows Telephone seven launch, its evangelists are functioning overtime to attempt to build momentum for that platform.
Microsoft officials are announcing on August 23 that there have already been 300,000-plus downloads with the beta of the Windows Telephone 7 developer instruments to date. They said the last edition with the equipment will probably be out September 16, but stressed that these thinking about composing video games and applications employing the XNA Framework and Silverlight don’t need to wait for that final.
“Of course, the final resources will have some minor breaking changes from the Beta equipment, so developers may have to fix some bugs which arise,” acknowledged Brandon Watson, a Director in Microsoft’s Mobile Communications Business, in a new post to the Windows Telephone Developer blog. “The final equipment will also include several highly requested Silverlight controls which will make it even easier for developers to deliver high quality Windows Telephone seven experiences. Also in the September 16th ultimate release,Windows 7 Professional, the panorama, pivot and Bing maps controls will all be available to drop into applications,Microsoft Office 2007 Key,” Watson added.
The latest version of the Windows Telephone seven Developer Instruments beta, released in July, included test builds of Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone, Windows Telephone Emulator, Silverlight for Windows Telephone, Expression Blend for Windows Phone and XNA Game Studio 4.0
Watson, for those who haven’t bumped into him at various Microsoft shows and events, is the guy who heads up Windows Telephone developer marketing and field and sales readiness for developer engagements. He formerly worked on the technical marketing team for Server and Instruments, focusing on developer platforms for Windows Azure and .Net. (He’s also founded a company that developed online-safety solutions for kids,Office 2007 Key, and was a principal with Soros Private Equity Partners, in between his stints at Microsoft.)
“There are half a million Silverlight developers out there, and two million C# programmers,” Watson told me during a meeting I had with him recently at a Microsoft event. “The message is write once, optimize anywhere.”
He stressed that Windows Phone seven and its ecosystem is “built by developers,Windows 7 Serial, for developers.”
“We’re listening to developers about what they want and are being very open and transparent about what we’re delivering” in terms of resources, Marketplace policies and more, Watson mentioned. With Microsoft,Office 2010, “you get discovered, you get rewarded,” he quipped.
Another of those who is part of Microsoft’s Windows Phone seven evangelism efforts is Anand Iyer, who has been working as a Microsoft evangelist in the not-usually-Microsoft-friendly Northern California area. Iyer has worked with Microsoft’s Emerging Business Team and was a program manager for your Microsoft BizSpark program for startups. Currently, he is a Senior Product Manager focusing on Windows Telephone 7’s Application Developer experiences, targeting startups, students and hobbyist/indie developers in particular.
Iyer said there’s a big focus with Windows Phone seven on “long-tail developers,” not just the big names. “We want to develop rockstars,” he stated, to make sure that there will be some unique programs that are available only on Windows Telephone 7.
“The goal is to help developers truly understand what they need to do to become successful,” he said. That means finding ways to attract developers who have experience creating for other smartphone platforms, like the iPhone and Android, but also looking for those who are familiar with Microsoft’s resources and development models who may not necessarily have mobile-development experience.
Microsoft recently announced 50 gaming titles that will probably be available on Windows Phone seven at start. The company also has been distributing Windows Phone 7 prototype phones to a small, selected pool of developers to help them finalize their offerings for launch. Microsoft execs have already been sporting early prototype Windows Telephone 7 devices at various conferences. And the team has been encouraging Microsoft employees to attempt their hand at developing Windows Telephone 7 applications.
As many pundits, developers, competitors and potential customers have noted, Microsoft has a long road ahead of it on the smartphone front. Is there anything Microsoft isn’t doing — or should rethink — that you feel would give Windows Telephone 7 a better chance of success?