Microsoft Windows Azure Toolkit for Android Released

Microsoft released Windows Azure Toolkit for Android along with updated toolkits for Windows Phone and iOS platforms. Originally announced in May, the Android toolkit includes native libraries (for storage and authentication), a sample application, and unit tests.

The Windows Azure Toolkit  is designed to make it easier for you to build mobile applications that leverage cloud services running in Windows Azure.  The toolkit includes Visual Studio project templates for Windows Phone and Windows Azure, class libraries optimized for use on the phone, sample applications, and documentation.  All this content is designed to be easily reused, simplifying your experience and optimizing your time when building your own phone applications leveraging cloud services.

While there is tremendous market opportunity in building mobile applications, targeting numerous mobile platforms can be complex, costly and frustrating for developers. These new toolkits make it easier, and less expensive, for developers to extend their applications across major computing platforms.

[advt]Previously, Microsoft showed how companies like American Airlines are using the Windows Azure Toolkits for Devices to push real-time flight status, gate change and baggage claim information from American’s reservation system directly to a Windows Phone Live Tiles via Windows Azure’s notifications system. Using the toolkits, American Airlines travelers who download the Windows Phone application have instant access to their most current travel information on the top-level user interface of their phone, eliminating the need for text message, email or phone-call updates.

You can get the toolkits here:

• Windows Phone
• iOS (iPhone & iPad)
• Android