14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has announced the Universal Apps concept at the BUILD 2014 developer conference in San Francisco, a new initiative that allows developers to create applications working on basically all devices running modern platforms, such as PCs, phones, and tablets.
David Treadwell, Microsoft CVP of Operating Systems Group, revealed during the opening keynote of the event that each app will be further customized to fit every single device it is installed on, so a seamless experience should be provided no matter if you’re using a PC or a smartphone.
While the Windows runtime in the new Windows 8.1 Update will thus become available for Windows Phone developers, the software giant says that all software makers will be allowed to create app designs specifically for a type of device, in an attempt to optimize the final experience offered to the end user.
Streamlining the development process of Metro apps has been a priority, Treadwell explained, with the company focusing on five main areas supposed to enhance the creation of universal apps: user interface, app model, APIs, tools, and Windows Store.
Tweaking an app to work on a different platform should be easy, Microsoft said, as a big part of the code can be re-used.
“Yet today there’s no easy way to create apps that work across all form factors,” Treadwell added, “and all of us want the same app experience across all devices.”