Windows Azure Mobile Services

My thanks to Microsoft — yes, that’s right, Microsoft — for sponsoring this week’s DF RSS feed to promote Windows Azure Mobile Services. Mobile Services is a quick and easy way for developers to store iOS app data in the cloud, authenticate users via Twitter or Facebook, and send push notifications.

It’s simple and easy enough that you can be up and running within minutes. Sending a push notification is as simple as uploading your developer certificate, typing push.apns.send, and then specifying the payload. Configuring Facebook auth only requires copying over your App ID and Secret. Creating a scalable SQL database for your data takes two clicks and selecting a name.

They’ve got a bunch of videos featuring Brent Simmons walking you through the Azure Mobile Services features, and showing you how to hook them up to an iOS app. Check it out and claim 10 free Mobile Services today.

★ Saturday, 20 April 2013