Microsoft Breaks World Record After Coding Marathon

Microsoft has achieved a world record after using its recent Windows 8 AppFest in Bangalore, to host a coding marathon.

During a long-running coding session, thousands of developers made history by setting the world record for the Most Participants in a Software Development Marathon in One Location at Karnataka Trade Promotion Organisation (KTPO), Bangalore.

World Record

The record was set at 2,567 developers coding non-stop for 18 hours. Developers came from all over India and beyond to participate in the event hosted by Microsoft that involved building, designing and testing apps for the Windows platform.

As the software giant pushes toward its 26 October release of Windows 8, the turnout of more than 2,500 developers at Windows AppFest showcases the developer excitement for Windows 8 and the opportunity the Windows Store brings to developers worldwide, Microsoft said. Hopefully, some of the apps created at the Windows 8 AppFest will find their way into the Windows Store, Microsoft officials said.

Microsoft empowered the developers with Windows 8 RTM (release to manufacturing) and Visual Studio Express 2012. The teams of up to four developers built apps for Windows in 20 categories, including food, finance, productivity, books, social, photo, music and video, and shopping.

The event featured activities throughout the day and night, including performances from DJRink, rock band Swarathma and morning yoga sessions along with the overnight coding. As the clock struck 8 am, Microsoft passed the milestone and Paul O’Neill, vice president of Guinness World Records Commercial, announced Microsoft’s entry into the Guinness World Records for the Most Participants in a Software Development Marathon in One Location. A certificate validating the record was presented to Jon DeVaan, corporate vice president for Windows Development at Microsoft, and Bhaskar Pramanik, chairman of Microsoft India.

At the closing of the Windows AppFest, O’Neill said, “Congratulations to all of the developers at the Windows AppFest for setting an official Guinness World Record for the Most Participants in a Software Development Marathon in One Location. The spectacle of thousands of developers toiling through the night has demonstrated great commitment to their work.”

“Developers are at the centre of Microsoft’s success,” DeVaan said. “And India is home to some of the world’s most talented developers. We are focused on enabling developers to succeed as they build the next generation of apps. I can’t wait to see some of these apps being built at the Windows AppFest.”

Windows 8 Apps

“This Guinness Record at Windows AppFest is a great accomplishment by all the developers who participated,” Pramanik said. “We would like to thank everyone involved. Over the course of the 18 hours of the Windows AppFest, we saw some outstanding talent and many innovative apps being developed. I am certain that the success of Windows AppFest will ignite the minds of developers across India to leverage the opportunity and global reach of the Windows platform.”

A robust developer ecosystem is at the centre of Microsoft’s success. Windows 8 provides developers with the single largest opportunity to develop apps across multiple devices across various form factors and hardware formats using multiple coding languages. Microsoft is focused on enabling developers to build the next generation of apps and maximise their revenue.

“Windows 8 is ‘Good for India,’” Pramanik said in a statement. “In India, Microsoft is making significant investments and working with 1.2 million developers, over 1,000 independent software vendors and more than 2,000 system integrators to empower them with the tools, technologies and training required to develop high-end skills and compete in a global marketplace. “The Windows AppFest will encourage budding developers, technology enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to innovate on next-generation Windows technology, crucial for the development of the local software ecosystem and the long-term economic growth of India’s IT industry.”

“Windows offers app developers state-of-the-art design and development tools, the freedom and flexibility to use a choice of programming languages, including HTML/JSS, global reach to 1.3 billion users and industry-leading revenue sharing,” DeVaan added. “Simply put, Windows 8 offers the most significant developer opportunity ever.”

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