Microsoft Platform Ready
Once you've lit up your app with new Windows 7 features, you'll need to get it out into the marketplace. As of September 2010, developers have a new tool to help with that part: Microsoft Platform Ready.

App developers know the routine: develop and polish your app, send it off for testing and certification, wait, wait some more, eventually go to market. But MPR has just excised a huge chunk of pain from that process. New online compatibility testing tools reduce the wait time to about 10 minutes for any of 9 different platforms. MPR, itself based on Windows Azure, lets you manage your apps through the testing cycle to Market. Here's a sneak peek at how it works.

Develop
Once you sign up, you have access to development tools, training videos, cookbooks, the Windows 7 Training Kit, app compatibility tools, and of course all the dev tools you need, like a Windows 7 trial download and the SDK itself. After completing development, you can begin the app's testing process in MPR by adding the app to the My MPR panel.

Figure 12. Fill in the details of your application on the form.

In the process of adding your app, you can select all of its related technologies, against which it'll be tested.

Figure 13. Select all of your app's related technologies.

Once registered, your app will appear in My MPR, so you can track its progress through Testing to Market.

Figure 14. Once registered, your app will appear in My MPR.

Test
Registering the app with the relevant technologies also generates a link to the Microsoft Platform Ready Test Tool, which becomes available under the Test tab.

Figure 15. The Microsoft Platform Ready Test Tool

After testing the app, you upload the Toolkit Results File generated by the Test Tool. At this point your test results become available in your "View My Reports" section.

Figure 16. View your Platform Ready Test Tool reports.

Successful results are automatically sent to the Microsoft Partner Network. Your app's successful results actually count toward the Microsoft Partner Network program requirements and earn it relevant Microsoft logos (unsuccessful results are thankfully ignored). Once the app reaches silver or gold competency, you can continue on to marketing.

Market
The third section of MPR, "Market", gets you started on perhaps the trickiest part of building a successful app — getting it out there. Members of the Microsoft Partner Network can review their marketing benefits, which include a marketing toolkit, marketing resources, and an hour of consultation with experts on channel development.

Figure 17. Build a customized marketing campaign for your application.

Gone are the days of $800 VeriSign tests. MPR makes the testing process fast and free so you can focus less on the certification process and more on development. If that development includes integrating the new Windows 7 features, then your app will do things not possible on any other platform. And that's the best way for your app to shine.

* This article was commissioned by and prepared for Microsoft Corporation. This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.