Microsoft Acquires App Developer Platform HockeyApp

[MacRumors]

In a blog post by Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of the Developer Division S. Somasegar, the company today announced the acquisition of HockeyApp, a service for app developers that provides crash reports, distribution help, and various testing features.

Initially created for in-house use only by the Germany-based HockeyApp team, the service quickly branched out into a widely-used platform by app developers across iOS, Windows Phone, and Android platforms, including Microsoft itself.

Microsoft has been a HockeyApp customer with many apps since the early days back in 2011, so they were already familiar with the stability and quality of our service. Creating the best developer experience is key to both Microsoft and HockeyApp, this includes industry delivering leading tools for the major mobile platforms: iOS, Android and Windows. We saw the potential of the added abilities and resources of Microsoft to make our platform even better. It may sound cliché, but it really does feel like a match made in heaven.

Microsoft's announcement states that the company plans to "integrate HockeyApp into the Application Insights service in Visual Studio Online to expand Application Insights support for iOS and Android," expanding the Application Insights service beyond server platforms.

Microsoft also promised that the upcoming months will see further collaboration between the two companies, with new iOS and Android SDKs for Application Insights that will utilize the unique features of HockeyApp. The client and server/cloud-based service offers a 360-degree report on application usage, availability, and performance that both companies hope the HockeyApp integration could bring to all mobile platforms.

Desktop and mobile apps for HockeyApp are available for developers right now, with pricing options ranging from monthly to yearly subscriptions. The company promises that existing user accounts will not be negatively affected by the acquisition.

Article Link: Microsoft Acquires App Developer Platform HockeyApp

 

[KylePowers]

What a misleading name, no?

 

[69Mustang]

Post Ballmer Microsoft is going all in on accessibility on all platforms. Makes me wonder where they would have been with Ballmer out of the picture earlier. No matter, I just hope they keep going in this direction.

 

[fabiopigi]

What a misleading name, no?

Not more misleading than "Safari"...

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Post Ballmer Microsoft is going all in on accessibility on all platforms. Makes me wonder where they would have been with Ballmer out of the picture earlier. No matter, I just hope they keep going in this direction.

I hope they strive to make Windows more compatible with every other OS next.

They need to fix:
- Path separators
- dir (should be ls)
- How they indicate flags (should be -, not /)
- SSH, VNC, and Python should all be standard
- cmd (seriously, what the hell? With Windows 10 they finally add copy/paste to it - something every other OS has had for two decades.)

 

[nikicampos]

What is this?

MicroRumors?!?!?

 

[KylePowers]

Not more misleading than "Safari"...

Really? Because I could see how one would 'explore the internet" as they would explore on a safari. So at least you can make a stretch.

But does HockeyApp have anything to do with hockey? Like, I'm so intrigued as to why they named it that.

 

[Dave532]

Testflight was commonly used for the same purpose by iOS and Android developers.

Apple took over Testflight and scrapped the Android support making a lot of cross platform developers go to HockeyApp.

Hopefully Microsoft doesn't 'do an Apple' and make HockeyApp Windows Phone only otherwise there'll be the market for a new alternative.

 

[2457282]

Testflight was commonly used for the same purpose by iOS and Android developers.

Apple took over Testflight and scrapped the Android support making a lot of cross platform developers go to HockeyApp.

Hopefully Microsoft doesn't 'do an Apple' and make HockeyApp Windows Phone only otherwise there'll be the market for a new alternative.

That would be.............

Wait for it ..............

A slap shot

 

[gavinmckenzie]

HockeyApp = "Ad Hoc Distribution"

But does HockeyApp have anything to do with hockey? Like, I'm so intrigued as to why they named it that.

It's a play on words. When an Apple developer wishes to distribute beta versions of apps to testers, Apple refers to the process and beta builds as "Ad Hoc Distribution". So the HockeyApp service makes the process of distributing beta "Ad Hoc" builds easier, and they named it HockeyApp after the "Hoc" part of "Ad Hoc".

 

[Nunyabinez]

What is this?

MicroRumors?!?!?

I wish Mac Rumors would update their terms of service to restrict comments like this.

This is no more useful than a one word or a "Me too" post.

While it says "new and rumors you care about" the you in that is not you specifically. Not every story will appeal to everyone and it takes a healthy bit to narcissism to assume that you can speak for everyone that regularly visits this site.

And why for heaven's sake can't people just scroll past articles that don't interest them?

 

[nikicampos]

I wish Mac Rumors would update their terms of service to restrict comments like this.

This is no more useful than a one word or a "Me too" post.

While it says "new and rumors you care about" the you in that is not you specifically. Not every story will appeal to everyone and it takes a healthy bit to narcissism to assume that you can speak for everyone that regularly visits this site.

And why for heaven's sake can't people just scroll past articles that don't interest them?

Whatever dude..

 

[macpaw]

Microsoft Replacement

It means that it is time to switch to http://DevMate.com for all Mac Developers!

 

[VeryVito]

But does HockeyApp have anything to do with hockey? Like, I'm so intrigued as to why they named it that.

Originally, "HockeyApp" was a play on the concept of "Ad HOC provisioning," which was the only way Apple allowed an app to be loaded on an untethered iOS device. It was a short jump from Hoc to Hockey.

 

[Michael Goff]

What is this?

MicroRumors?!?!?

It's almost like iOS applications are made using the thing Microsoft bought.

 

[JAT]

And why for heaven's sake can't people just scroll past articles that don't interest them?

But, it's so shiny!