To make apps not restricted to just one device, Microsoft has announced the availability of version 1.0 of Project Rome SDK for Android and iOS. Project Rome, or Remote Systems APIs, is a device-independent platform that helps build people-centric experiences across devices. It breaks down barriers across all Windows devices.
On the Windows blog, Microsoft described what Project Rome SDK is all about:
Project Rome is a platform for enabling seamless cross-device and cross-platform experiences. The philosophy behind Project Rome is simple. App experiences shouldn’t be tied to a single device any more than data should be tied to a single device. Your apps, like your data, should travel with you
So, developers can create apps that can run on multiple devices so that the user can switch between devices without much headache.
Project Rome comprises features defined by Microsoft Graph and platform-specific native SDKs, enabling various cross-device and connected-device capabilities and allowing apps to be concentrated around a user identity logged in. These features include but do not limit themselves to devise relay, user activities, notifications, nearby share, and remote sessions.
A few scenarios can be availed through REST APIs and the native platform SDKs via Microsoft Graph. Some scenarios, such as Notifications, use a combination of Microsoft Graph APIs and client SDKs. Even though the REST APIs aid in the quick and simple implementation of the Project Rome features, using platform-specific implementations can help in some ways. They can provide:
- An object model in the native language
- Local storage
- A pattern of publish-subscribe for updates
- for apps running on Windows (UWP or Win32 apps), many additional features include using the users’ default account and automatically tracking user engagement
Project Rome can help create “human-centric scenarios” that can travel with the user and harmonize their devices regardless of form factor or platform.
