I am delighted that Jonathan and Robb undertook the task of writing this book. Both Jonathan and Robb have been involved in the .NET community for a number of years and developed a passion for the Windows Phone. With this book, they have decided to share their knowledge and experience with their readers to help developers dive into doing more with Windows Phone.

When we began rebuilding the Phone, the goal was to do this over multiple releases and keep iterating on feedback rapidly to take the platform forward. In doing so, the platform evolved with the developers consuming it and aligned to their needs. The premise of using platforms like Silverlight and XNA as the basis was founded by the need to make it simple and familiar, and also enable rapid development of a large volume of high quality applications. We also attempted to stitch together the end-to-end story Microsoft had to offer between the tools, the platforms, the phone operating system, and the various services in the company.

When I was approached to write this foreword by Scott Guthrie and Jonathan, I was personally skeptical given the risk of capturing so much in so little. By reading the book, I have personally had a refresher of the various constructs we have enabled over the year and feel that the authors have done a good job telling the end-to-end story.

The book embodies the basic construct of Windows Phone development, namely, to simplify and enable. Jonathan and Robb have taken the essence of what is required to get started and develop applications rapidly which is a key to mobile development. The market continues to evolve rapidly and hence the need for efficient development strategies including quick learning.

I hope the readers of this book learn and are able to develop high quality and attractive applications to help differentiate themselves in the highly competitive market.

Akhil Kaza

Development Manager Silverlight for Windows Phone