We’ve been fortunate enough to be considered a valued Microsoft partner for quite a few years now. Our work with them over time has proven quite valuable – particularly with SharePoint, software upgrades and mobile applications projects. Some project are more complex than others and take longer than desired, but more often than not, we deliver ahead of schedule and below budget. That was certainly the case with Answers.com. Read on to find out exactly what we did, and exactly how fast.
Background
Answers.com is a unique online “knowledge exchange”, which includes several world-wide Q&A communities, including WikiAnswers, ReferenceAnswers, and several other international websites in multiple languages. The premise of the site is for users to logon and ask a question in the dialogue field. The application then utilizes its network of resources to generate an answer to each question, from general to specific. The site is also available as a Windows-based mobile app.
Challenge
Answers.com needed a Microsoft partner that could upgrade their Windows 8 application to maximize the use of a variety of new 8.1 features. Expediency was of the utmost importance in this instance and based on our prior experience with Microsoft, they knew we were the best partner for the job.
Solution
AIS upgraded the Answers.com Windows 8.0 Store application to 8.1, meeting Answers.com goal of getting it done as quickly as possible. Our team also validated the application through the Microsoft DPE Windows 8 Partner Program to ensure adherence to all Windows 8.1 criterion. Additionally, we implemented a User Experience design that enabled the following features:
- Large, wide, medium, small tile support (the app currently does not have Large tile support)
- Resizable window support
- Search updates
- Recompile targeting 8.1
AIS completed the upgrade within a two-week time frame, ahead of schedule. The application, with the 8.1 upgrade, is available in the Windows app store for touch-friendly devices.
Business and Technological Advances
Our partners, such as Microsoft, rely on our reputation as a company that leads the charge for transformational change through technology and our history of delivering ahead of schedule and below budget for our clients. Microsoft engaged us for a project with which we completed with expediency, resulting in minimal loss of uptime for our client. Additionally, our client has now been moved to a Windows-compliant solution with enhanced features that provides a better experience for its users.
Technology
- UX
- WinJS