Rumors surrounding a category-defining Surface phone gave rise to a great number of heated discussions and erupted into real dissatisfaction with Microsoft after its press event last Wednesday. How could it be that the company didn’t even make casual mention of Windows 10 Mobile? Nor customers neither partners properly understand why anyone should bother investing in Microsoft’s mobile strategy.

The situation wasn’t even clarified by Terry Myerson, Microsoft executive vice president of Windows and Devices. Obscurity became more preferable than clarity.

“Technically, there are really two things that are unique about Windows Mobile,” Myerson said, when asked why Microsoft was wasting time upgrading Windows 10 Mobile. “One is cellular connectivity and the other one is the ARM processors that are there.”

“So we’re going to continue to invest in ARM and cellular,” Myerson added. “And while I’m not saying what type of device, I think we’ll see devices there, Windows devices, that use ARM chips. I think we’ll see devices that have cellular connectivity.”

Not phones, but devices

No one heard a word “phones” pronounced by Myerson. However, there would be a “tablet” instead. It’s likely to be an ARM-based tablet, perhaps one with cellular connectivity, but not a phone.

To sum up, up-to-date Windows phones run on ARM processors from Qualcomm and others, using Windows 10 Mobile. But as regards Windows tablets, they do not. At one point, of course, they did: the original Surface ran on Windows RT, a version of Windows designed for ARM chips. But consumers earnestly and completely refused the Windows RT tablets, and, as it’s reported, Microsoft scrapped a smaller “Surface Mini” that may or may not have run Surface RT.

Instead, Microsoft doubled down on the Surface Pro 3, which went on to become the Windows tablet that made it easier to define Surface and Windows tablets in general. Microsoft promoted development on what it saw to be a more successful realization of Windows 10 running on top of ARM: Windows phones.

From the position of the observers, it’s a riddle why Microsoft cannot stop developing of Windows 10 Mobile and continue to release its own Lumia hardware, or why ARM and cellular connectivity are thought to be differentiating features for Microsoft alone — and not, you know, every phone ever made. Why didn’t Myerson highlight Continuum, Microsoft’s phone-as-PC argument? Or virtualized Win32 apps, as HP’s Passport uses? He’s an honest man, though, so he’s more likely to answer the question in the way Microsoft is now solving the problem.

No one puts absolute trust in Myerson. But why not to give him a little credit? How often do we use  smartphones for their intended purpose? As screen sizes balloon, phones are evolving more into data-driven messaging and computing devices than simple squawk boxes.

One hardly believes that the cratering of Microsoft’s phone business belongs to any master plan to usher in the next big thing. But the door’s still open for something breathtaking to arise from Microsoft’s mobile business. If Myerson is to be believed, however, it may not be a phone.

The original article was firstly published by PCWorld.

The company has recently announced the changes to its AppToCert program for 2015 – and they are great. Microsoft has finally realized that app developers learn their craft by doing; they spend months developing and testing their apps in order to make them cool. As a result, these people have neither time, nor motivation or money to sit expensive Microsoft exams in order to get certified. As an answer to this challenge, Microsoft has came up with AppToCert Program.

AppToCert Program targets HTML5/JS or C#/XAML developers enabling them to get credit for up to two exams by showing the app development work they are doing. Isn’t it perfect – getting certified for what you actually do, not for what you have managed to cram by your caffeine-packed brain? With the new program, Microsoft will review the apps you’re working on and will provide you with tips on app design and implementation, and address common pitfalls and blockers to getting apps into the marketplace.

Earning credit towards certification through AppToCert can now be achieved simply by completing these three steps:

Pass either a Core or Intermediate technical review of your application by a Microsoft engineer

Publish or update your application in the Windows Phone Store or Windows Store

Take and pass one Microsoft developer certification exam from a list of Web, SharePoint, and Windows Store app exams.

Are you ready to submit your app for review? Click here to register for Microsoft AppToCert program.

Microsoft organizes a FREE building Apps for Windows Phone 8.1 Jump Start virtual session, which you will be able to join live, from the comfort of your home, for absolutely free. It will be on for 3 days: April 29-May 1, 2014, 9-5 PDT (days 1 & 2), 9-12 PDT (day 3)

The event is open to all experienced software developers with knowledge of object-oriented design. Familiarity with C# or XAML is helpful. The great news is, no prior experience with developing Windows Phone 8 apps is required.

‘ Is this a good opportunity for me?’ 

If you’re an app developer willing to design and build Windows Phone 8.1 apps using XAML and C#, then YES. The two-and-a-half day, demo-rich course, taught by experts who have years of experience developing (and writing about the process), focuses on how to create apps for Windows Phone 8.1 in Visual Studio and how to create universal app projects that share a high percentage of code and that target both Windows and Windows Phone.

The course will bring you tips and tricks on maximizing your app compatibility and optimizing your code. Find out about new features, and learn how to program the many new Windows Runtime APIs that are available to both Windows Store apps and to Windows Silverlight apps. You can even get code samples. Sign up now to make your apps world-ready!

To prepare for the course, download the Windows Phone SDK, which includes all the tools you need to get started. And check out the Windows Phone sessions from Build 2014.

You can register for the event for free by clicking here.

1.      PMI Risk Management Professional

Project management has grown into an independent industry, with its own professional standards. For risk management professionals, the PMI Risk Management Professional certification is one of the most recognized. It “fills the need for a specialist role in project risk management,” according to the Project Management Institute.

2.      Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP/CISSP)

With ISSEP-CISSP being on the list of top paid IT certifications, this one shouldn’t be ignored. According to the (ISC)2 organization, the ISSEP-CISSP concentration was developed with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). The Information Systems Security Engineering Professional concentration “is the guide for incorporating security into projects, applications, business processes, and all information systems.” To earn the ISSEP, you must successfully pass one exam while holding a CISSP credential in good standing.

3.   MCPD: Windows Phone Developer

No IT Certification list can be complete without Microsoft, right? With the Windows Phone share in mobile market projected to grow tremendously in 2014, this is the place to grow for those interested in Mobile Development for a platform with the highest growth potential in 2014.

4. Program Management Professional (PgMP)

This is another certification from PMI with a great earnings and career development potential. Experienced project managers often pursue the Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification. “Credential holders,” says the Project Management Institute, “oversee the success of a program, grouping related projects together to realize organizational benefits not available if they were managed separately. It’s the perfect fit if you define projects, assign project managers and oversee programs.” The requirements for application include four years of project management experience and four years of program management experience.

5. Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)

A Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) has attained the highest level in Red Hat’s certification program. In order to earn the cert, applicants must successfully complete a number of other Red Hat certifications.

Now, what are you certification plans for 2014?

While market share of the Windows Phone has been growing steadily in 2013 (making it the third most-used mobile operating system after Android and iOS), the giant made its ultimate claim for leading the mobile world by purchasing Nokia in September.

So now Microsoft’s main task appears to be developing a powerful ecosystem for both phones and tablets, and as they go along, there will sure be a high demand for Windows Phone Developers. Even now, Microsoft’s not going bad: with the integration of SkyDrive, Office Mobile, Office 365, etc, the company is sure on the right track. Yet, there’s still a lot to work on, especially in the area of smaller/cheaper consumer apps, to step up the competition with the leader, Google’s Android.  Not surprisingly, in this situation, the MCPD: Windows Phone Developer certification may look like a good option for you, as there will definitely be a rising demand in Windows Phone app developers. Yet, as it usually happens, things are a little more complex than they may seem, and we’ll try to convince you that you’ll need at least some HTML 5 understanding, up to the point when MCSD: Windows Store Apps certification may be a better long-term goal (as opposed to the outdated MCPD: Windows Phone Developer you may be eying).

Is there anything wrong with MCPD: Windows Phone Developer Certification?

Where do we start? The thing is, this certification is strongly focused on Silverlight. Which is fine, considered that this is what Windows Phone development is now based on. Yet, it may not be so fine once you consider that Microsoft has pretty much dropped Silverlight in 2011. Do note also that the certification includes the 4^th version of Silverlight among its steps, although the platform was updated to Silverlight 5 back in 2011. So why haven’t they updated the certification yet?

Although it will be supported until 2021, you don’t have to be a genius to understand that it won’t last that long: Microsoft has announced it would be moving to HTML 5 instead. Why would Microsoft kill its proprietary technology? Just look a few years back and it’ll be clear.

History Repeats

2 years after his death, Steve Jobs still remains the trendsetter of the tech world. And it’s not his gadgets (and the recent lack of Apple’s innovation) we’re talking about. Do you remember the outrage caused by Apple’s decision not to support Flash on its gadgets? This way, Apple created the AppStore concept we know today: accessing things you need through apps, which, in turn, brings huge monetization potential to the owners.

Looking back, one can now state that the war between Apple and Adobe over Flash had prompted the HTML5 we use today. And in 2011, Microsoft took the course of moving away from the Silverlight towards using HTML5, thus closing the door on its own proprietary technology. The company admitted it would be dropping its efforts to make Silverlight the leading cross-platform runtime for the web and the desktop.

What Exactly is Silverlight?

Microsoft Silverlight enables writing and running rich Internet applications, similar to Adobe Flash. The run-time environment for Silverlight is available as a plug-in for web browsers running under Microsoft Windows and Mac OS.

Silverlight is capable of providing video streaming. It has been used for the NBC coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, as well as the 2008 conventions of the US Democratic and Republican parties. Until recently, it has been used by Netflix to enable its instant video streaming, however, the service has announced its switch to HTML5 in the near future.

Truth be told, for years Silverlight had compatibility issues with browsers, and many developers weren’t crazy about its features. Yet, it carried out its mission of a universal platform for delivery of rich online content, with online video streaming being the best and brightest of it. Convenient? Yes! But as a user, would you purchase an app for something you can get without one, just through your browser? We didn’t think so. And neither did Microsoft. So now the company treats its own technology exactly the way Apple treated Adobe’s Flash years ago.

Of course, this platform isn’t something Microsoft can get rid of within a day: the company will support Silverlight 5 until 2021. Although it may still seem far away, it is obvious that HTML5, a quicker and leaner technology, will take its place. And, since Adobe has dropped Flash as a mobile platform for being too energy consuming and too slow, it’s just a matter of time until Microsoft does the same with Silverlight (although it’s not nearly as heavy).

Moreover, Microsoft is now faced with the need to capitalize on its Windows Phone and Nokia investment, and this is something Bill Gates’ company can once again learn from their founder’s lifelong rival, Mr. Steve Jobs: heading towards a lean and consistent appstore-based ecosystem, where desktop and mobile environment are harmonically aligned, and the monetization potential is high. And, with Windows Phone showing the highest growing rates this year, Microsoft seems to finally be on the right track.

So, this article pretty much shows why be believe that while having the MCPD: Windows Phone Developer certification is very useful nowadays (to get the job you want ASAP), you should keep in mind that the technology is very likely to change soon. And, if you already hold a Windows Phone Developer certification, you may seriously want to think of picking up on some of that HTML5 and JavaScript knowledge you will eventually need – on a truly professional level. So, DO consider MCSD: Windows Store Apps to be safer in this ever changing apps world.