The Microsoft World Partner Conference is just around the corner in the first full week in July.  For those of you planning to attend, we hope you have time to stop by the Sandbox kiosk and listen to our short (very short) presentation, ask (general and specific) questions in person, and share your ideas for the future.  If our technical team is not readily available when you stop by, we can set up an appointment to get deeper into your questions and interests. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Thanks to all of you who stopped by the Microsoft Sandbox booth at NXTComm last week!  It was fun to listen to your ideas for new services, mashing up all sorts of options from vertical applications to audio and TV and back through mapping and social networks.  I can’t wait till I see some of these ideas turn into services I can buy.  Great ideas!

The first project under the Accelerator Program – the one sponsored by SingTel, with a Mobile focus – is nearly closed – Sign Up Now to be considered for this great opportunity!

Aptly named, the Accelerator Program is not wasting any time getting going.  With the new service being demonstrated September 24, there is no time to lose.  The first milestone of this project is the deadline for ISVs, Developers, SIs, etc. to sign up at http://www.networkmashups.com/Content.aspx?TopicId=mobile&TopicTitle=Microsoft%20is%20driving%20the%20development%20of%20the%20next%20generation%20of%20mobile%20services  by June 28^th.  If you have a mobile project in mind that SingTel will be interested in adding to their service offerings, don’t miss out on a chance to work with a major Operator – sign up by Saturday!

• Artilium
• Schakra
• Tech Mahindra

all demonstrating what they have been able to accomplish with Sandbox.  We have a pretty broad viariety of demos for just 3 companies that are on the booth with us this year.  Come take a look at what is being done this year and who knows - you may come up with the next big thing in Sandbox and receive an invitation to join us in 2009! 

On Tuesday, Microsoft announced the launch of the Connected Services Accelerator Program at the GSMA’s Mobile Innovation Marketplace – Americas event in Atlanta. The Connected Services Accelerator Program encompasses a series of operator-sponsored projects designed to incubate, and ultimately commercialize, new types of consumer, business and mobile services through collaboration with independent software vendors (ISVs) and developers. Microsoft is partnering with SingTel on the program’s first project, the Mobile Connected Services Accelerator, to develop a new, cutting-edge mobile application for a vertical industry, which can be supported on Windows Mobile-based devices as well as Windows Vista-enabled mobile broadband PCs.

SingTel will make its state-of-the-art infrastructure and resources available to participants for development and testing purposes and as with all Accelerator projects, the Mobile Accelerator will utilize Microsoft Connected Services Sandbox as the platform for the creation, development and testing of these innovative new services.

The project will run from July 1 to Sept. 24 after which time the chosen application will be entered into the GSMA’s Mobile Innovation Global Award Competition in the Most Innovative Mobile Application in a Vertical Market category, with the winner to be announced at the Mobile Asia Congress in Macau Nov. 18–20.

For more information on the Connected Services Accelerator Program, visit www.networkmashups.com

Don’t take my word for it – there were 93 news articles generated from the recent announcement by Microsoft and SingTel for the first project under the Connected Services Sandbox Accelerator Program, (made at GSMA- Atlanta, June 3).  Not just any announcement would generate such a buzz…this is truly a great opportunity!  ISVs, Systems Integrators, Developers, Mobile Gurus – anyone with a great idea and an interest to pair up with SingTel to develop an innovative service should consider being part of this first round of the Accelerator Program.

Interested?  Check it out yourselves!