Application Development - What is it?
The Application Development competency showcases our expertise in developing applications on Windows 8, Windows Server and Windows Azure platforms leveraging Visual Studio 2012.
In November 2012 our previous Microsoft ISV, Web development and Software Development competencies were merged to form a new competency called Application Development.
What we do
We build custom-developed solutions, business applications and provide integration to advanced web portals - running on premise or in the cloud.
Why use GSD?
The Application Development competency gives us the ability to differentiate our business as a trusted expert in application development. With our proven expertise in Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 development system and Microsoft’s Partner Network (MPN) support we are able to provide unprecedented solutions running on the latest Windows Server and Windows 8 operating systems. Combined with Windows Azure platform and emerging cloud-based and web business models we have the solution for you.
Impact of new product releases
The launch of the new Application Development competency is aligned with the release of the associated Microsoft development platforms and solutions.
Here is a Brief Overview of these products:
Windows Azure
Windows Azure is an open and flexible cloud platform that enables you to quickly build, deploy, and manage applications across a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters. You can build applications using any language, tool, or framework. And you can integrate your public cloud applications with your existing IT environment.
Benefits
Windows Azure enables you to quickly build, deploy, and manage applications across a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters. You can build applications using any operating system, language, or tool.
Windows Azure delivers a 99.95% monthly SLA and enables you to build and run highly available applications without focusing on the infrastructure. It provides automatic OS and service patching, built in network load balancing and resiliency to hardware failure. It supports a deployment model that enables you to upgrade your application without downtime.
Windows Azure enables you to use any language, framework, or tool to build applications. Features and services are exposed using open REST protocols. The Windows Azure client libraries are available for multiple programming languages and are released under an open source license and hosted on GitHub.
Unlimited servers. Unlimited storage.
Windows Azure enables you to easily scale your applications to any size. It is a fully automated self-service platform that allows you to provision resources within minutes. Elastically grow or shrink your resource usage based on your needs. You only pay for the resources your application uses. Windows Azure is available in multiple datacenters around the world, enabling you to deploy your applications close to your customers.
Powerful capabilities
Windows Azure delivers a flexible cloud platform that can satisfy any application need. It enables you to reliably host and scale out your application code within compute roles. You can store data using relational SQL databases, NoSQL table stores, and unstructured blob stores, and optionally use Hadoop and business intelligence services to data-mine it. You can take advantage of Windows Azure’s robust messaging capabilities to enable scalable distributed applications, as well as deliver hybrid solutions that run across a cloud and on-premise enterprise environment. Windows Azure’s distributed caching and CDN services allow you to reduce latency and deliver great application performance anywhere in the world.
Start building great apps today!
Windows 8
What's new...?
The Start screen - Everything you care about most is on the new Start screen. Tiles on the Start screen are connected to people, apps, folders, photos, or websites, and are alive with the latest info, so you're up to date at a glance.
Mouse, keyboard... and now touch - Windows 8 is perfect for PCs with only a mouse and keyboard, those with touchscreens, and those with both. Whatever kind of PC you have, you'll discover fast and fluid ways to switch between apps, move things around, and go smoothly from one place to another.
New PCs - There are amazing new PCs of all kinds, including sleek and lightweight tablets, convertibles, and laptops.
Apps from the Windows Store - Windows 8 comes with a new store for apps, the Windows Store. Open the Store right from your Start screen to browse and download apps for cooking, photos, sports, news, and a lot more—many of them free.
Your Windows, everywhere - Sign in with your Microsoft account to any of your PCs running Windows 8 and you'll immediately see your own background, display preferences, and settings.
The desktop - The desktop that you're used to—with its taskbar, folders, and icons—is still here and better than ever, with a new taskbar and streamlined file management.
Security - Stay up to date and more secure with Windows Defender, Windows Firewall, and Windows Update.
Speed - Windows 8 starts up faster, switches between apps faster, and uses power more efficiently than Windows 7.
It goes where you go - Your pictures, files, and settings are easily synced through the cloud, so you can get to what you need almost anywhere.
It plays as hard as it works - Windows 8 gives you the power to quickly browse, watch movies, play games, polish your CV, and pull together a killer presentation—all on a single PC.
You keep all your files - If your PC is running Windows 7, your files, apps, and settings will easily transfer to Windows 8.
You keep familiar programs - Programs that run on Windows 7 will run on Windows 8.
Windows Server 2012
With Windows Server 2012, Microsoft delivers a server platform built on our experience of building and operating many of the world's largest cloud-based services and datacenter. Whether you are setting-up a single server for your small business or architecting a major new datacenter environment, Windows Server 2012 will help you cloud-optimize your IT so you can fully meet your organization's unique needs.
Discover Windows Server 2012 - Beyond Virtualization
Offers a dynamic, multitenant infrastructure to help you scale and secure workloads and build a private cloud. Windows Server 2012 can help you provide:
- Complete Virtualization Platform
- Improved Scalability and Performance
- Connecting to Cloud Services
- The Power of Many Servers, the Simplicity of One
Delivers a highly available and easy to manage cloud-optimized platform. Windows Server 2012 can help you provide:
- Flexible Storage
- Continuous Availability
- Management Efficiency
- Every App, Any Cloud
Offers a cloud-optimized server platform that gives you the flexibility to build and deploy applications and websites on-premises, in the cloud, or across both. Windows Server 2012 can help you deliver:
- Flexibility to Build On-Premises and in the Cloud
- A Scalable and Elastic Infrastructure
- An Open Web and App Development Environment
- Modern Workstyle, Enabled
Provides users with flexible access to data and applications while simplifying management and maintaining security, control, and compliance. Windows Server 2012 can help you offer:
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Access to Applications and Data from Virtually Anywhere, Any Device
- A Full Windows Experience Anywhere
- Enhanced Data Security and Compliance
Visual Studio 2012 Update 2
Visual Studio 2012 Update 2 (Visual Studio 2012.2) is the latest update for Visual Studio, providing new functionality and fixes. In addition, Update 2 is a cumulative release that also includes all of the benefits delivered in Update 1. As part of Visual Studio’s commitment to continuous delivery, this release has enhancements that span feature areas across all editions, with a special focus on the modern lifecycle capabilities introduced in Premium and Ultimate. The new functionality in Update 2 focuses on four key areas:
- Agile planning
- Quality enablement
- Line-of-business (LOB) application development
- Developer experience
