New framework provides the required code assets and templates to cut development time and costs
Microsoft has created a new ‘Proof of Concept Framework’ to help speed up the time it takes to develop new blockchain applications.
The framework provides users with all the code assets and templates they need to create a blockchain proof of concept (PoC), including the blockchain network, a gateway API, a responsive web application and Azure Active Directory integration.
“When our customers and partners estimate the time and costs for developing a blockchain PoC, they often find that it can take 8-12 weeks and cost as much as US$300,000,” said Marc Mercuri director of Applied Innovation at Microsoft Digital.
Microsoft identified that most of the time in these PoC projects was spent developing code and building capabilities that surrounded the blockchain, often referred to as ‘scaffolding’.
“We realised there were a common set of challenges related to PoC development that we could address by creating a type of Proof of Concept Framework that would dramatically reduce the amount of time needed to build a blockchain PoC,” Mercuri explained.
The framework uses Microsoft Azure’s Event Hubs at its core, which provides the ability to readily add new capabilities such as sending raw data to Azure Data Lake or providing transaction data to Azure Search.
Mercuri added that the framework also makes it possible to create the web application without writing any code. “It uses meta-data provided for smart contracts to dynamically deliver a contextual user experience for participants,” he said. “Since the framework populates SQL DB as an off-chain store, it enables an organisation to leverage existing skills and tools to light up additional capabilities such as APIs, reporting with PowerBI, chat bots, Azure Data Factory, R, and machine learning.”
Microsoft will demonstrate the new framework for the first time at the Consensus Conference in New York, US this week.