Phone development is a term for the process of writing applications for smartphones. Phones run an operating system as a platform to provide services to applications. As a result, phone development is similar to desktop development - with caveats. Phones do not have the memory or performance of their desktop counterparts. To simplify development, many developers initially run, debug, and test their applications in a software version of the phone - also known as an emulator. This enables the creation of your application in a standard, familiar environment, and can be deployed onto a phone when ready to use.

Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft’s next-generation smartphone platform designed to allow users to install and use advanced applications, and to empower developers to create such applications. Windows Phone 7 applications are created by using familiar tools like Visual Studio 2010, Silverlight, and XNA, thereby allowing developers to create rich smartphone applications with their existing skills. As a secure platform, Windows Phone 7 applications are able to capitalize on the many services and resources available through the cloud. This video provides a high-level look at the platform, tools, and ecosystem that empower developers to create, distribute, and monetize Windows Phone 7 applications.