Windows 8 in demand

Sara Pathirana

Windows 8, which was introduced in October, last year, has created a buzz and a lot of interest among the App community who had built a wide range of apps that cuts across various fields and sectors, such as games, lifestyle, entertainment, health, cookery and business.

Over the past three months, a progressive vibe has been established among Application Developers and Microsoft OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) partners in the business of manufacturing and importing PC hardware.

"Windows 8 is all about delivering the corporate value.

It is a global marketplace where any developer can create and publish any app without having to worry about the initiation criteria.

The App Developer ecosystem is thriving in the country and there is a window of opportunity with the arrival of Windows 8, as it is a great platform, especially for students, to whom we are encouraging to embrace and become the stakeholders of the ecosystem," Wellington Perera, Director, Developer Platform Evangelism, Microsoft Sri Lanka said.

Being the latest update to the Windows operating system, it has provided momentum to local App Developers who encompass an effervescent ecosystem in Sri Lanka.

This has become a revolutionary element across the PC hardware space.

Application developer space and the Enterprise customer space, to provide a new computing experience to PC users. 14 categories have been introduced, depending on the corporate and public audiences, with standardized features which are user friendly.

Malinda Silva from the University of Moratuwa, had developed two interesting apps, one based on food recipes and the other on the card game 'Omi', which is gaining momentum currently, emphasized that Windows 8 provided a clear platform and boost for local App Developers.

Mobile apps can also be modified minutely and introduced to computers and he highlighted that App Developers would be at a great advantage by using Windows 8 for developing more innovative and better apps.

Rukshan Dangalla, a student of the University of Moratuwa as well, also developed an app on Sri Lankan travel.

The app is useful, especially for tourists visiting the country and is significant with the current boom in tourism in Sri Lanka, as users can get a clear idea about travel destinations in Sri Lanka. It also works as a virtual guide.

With the launch of Windows 8 in Sri Lanka, Microsoft OEM partners too have introduced state-of-the-art Windows 8 enabled devices to the Sri Lankan market. Acer, Singer, Lenovo, Dell, Softlogic and HP launched devices which are now available in the market.