Developer Interview: Alexey Strakh of gMaps

This week we've had the pleasance in interviewing Alexey Strakh, developer of gMaps, a Google Maps client for Windows Telephone. Head on by the break for the Q&As.

Tell united states nigh yourself, what y'all do, background around programming etc.?

My Proper noun is Alexey Strakh and I'chiliad working as software developer at i of the biggest Russian outsource company in Moscow. Virtually of my experience is connected with Microsoft and .NET.

What path(s) led you lot to develop for Windows Phone?

I remember Microsoft makes a great thing allowing Silverlight and WPF developers to transfer their knowledge to Windows Phone 7 platform. I guess it was decisive influence in WP7 development.

Your apps on the Market place are popular and successful, what'due south your secret?

Actually if I knew the clandestine I would non tell you J But I'm not sure. I retrieve the primary undercover is that we created apps for ourselves and just then for others. It is too important to listen other users what they want to meliorate. And don't attempt just to re-create successful application from another platform – information technology will not work!

How did gMaps come up to be? What's planned for the future of the app?

1 day I need some free mapping application (because in our state I could not pay with my bill of fare for app in marketplace) for internal utilize and I with my friend Alex Sorokoletov created 1st version of gMaps. Start mean solar day it has about 3k downloads and we were crazy well-nigh it.

Some another mean solar day I programme my bicycle ride and I needed to observe route to sure places. Nosotros added this feature too for one 24-hour interval I believe… so on. Until nosotros collect huge number of feedback. Information technology allows united states to meliorate the application and make it useful for anybody and quite pop!

In futurity version we program 3 major features:

Breadth support
Offline maps support
Plow by turn navigation

All this features we desire to release earlier mango for known reasons.

Do yous develop for other platforms, and if so how does your Windows Phone experience compare?

No. We develop but for WP7.

What's your take on the current state of Windows Telephone development?

As for me WP7 platform has corking hereafter. Microsoft fabricated a big bet on it. MS doesn't afraid to enter this market quite late (not taking into account WM6) where iPhone and Android have already dominated. I believe new Metro pattern, huge developers community, contract with Nokia and smashing Microsoft back up will make this platform 1 of the most popular all over the world.

How practice you find the development process of Microsoft's platform?

Evolution process is quite clear, API is easy to understand and developers tin can concentrate on theirs ideas. At that place are some issues with marketplace and submit process simply I sympathise that platform is young enough and all that issues volition be solved.

Where do you run into WP7 going in the time to come, and what future apps/projects do y'all have lined up?

WP7 will definitely become to WP8.

We have several ideas for some games/tools. One of the ideas is to develop mass multiplayer game. Nosotros already tried to implement multiplayer games (Naval Battle 10) and even drift this game to Facebook (http://apps.facebook.com/navalbattlex). This immune users play from phone with opponents from Facebook. Information technology was 1st stage prove of multiplayer concept for wp7->desktop mass multiplayer games. We will continue with this idea.

Given the opportunity, what'south the 1 thing you lot'd change near the Windows Phone evolution procedure?

Developers need more opened API to write more convenient tools and games and make user's life easier!

Cheers so much for your fourth dimension. Whatever parting thoughts for the Windows Telephone community?

I believe that thank to this customs Microsoft has ability to develop WP7 so fast. Cheers!

You can make it touch and follow Alexey on Twitter and his blog.

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