Does it Work? Try Plugging It In

Posted by Openness Team

Next week representatives from about 30 companies, including Apple, Oracle, and Google, will gather on Microsoft’s Redmond Campus for a five-day Interoperability Plugfest. Hosted by Microsoft Interoperability teams, this event provides free, hands-on help to developers and quality assurance engineers who want to test Windows and Office products and make them work with the systems at their companies.

A critical aspect of Microsoft product development is an ecosystem dedicated to shipping interoperable systems and these plugfest-type events are great opportunities to work closely with other vendors and open source communities, providing extensive documentation and sessions dedicated to testing and feedback.

“For Microsoft, Plugfests help make Windows and Office products more interoperable with other devices, services and platforms, including iOS, Android and Linux,” said Michael Bowman, an Office Program Manager focused on open specifications events and test tools. “It’s also important that every device – tablets, phones, desktops and laptop computers – can connect with services such as Office 365. These [events] help build an ecosystem around Microsoft products.”

For more on what’s happening at next week’s Plugfest, head on over to The Fire Hose blog and learn how these events “help developers crack the interoperability code.”