Build 2013 Registration Open Today Despite Confusion
UPDATE: BUILD 2013 Registration is now officially sold out.
It's still possible to register for Microsoft's next Build developer conference, although Microsoft sent confusing signals earlier today.
Build was reported as being sold out this morning, with only a wait list available. Registration had opened at 9 a.m. today. However, a visit to the registration page later this afternoon showed that it was just the early-bird pricing option that was gone and that it was still possible to register for the event.
A Microsoft spokesperson told me, via email, "Apologies for the confusion and misinformation but we are still open for registration." The spokesperson chalked up the mistake to a "technical error on the registration website."
Last year, Build sold out in about an hour. Many developers were stunned, and there was more than a little unhappiness that every slot was taken before some folks got back from lunch. Part of the reason for the quick uptake was that the 2012 event was held at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Wash. This year, the event's being held at San Francisco's Moscone Center, a much larger venue.
Build will take place on June 26 to June 28. Microsoft, as is typical for this event, has released very few details. However, I was fortunate to land an exclusive interview at our Visual Studio Live! conference last week with Steven Guggenheimer, who made the announcement on a blog. Guggenheimer, a corporate vice president for the Developer and Platform Evangelism Group, was giving a keynote talk on the same day, and he agreed to speak with me on camera.
Guggenheimer said Microsoft was "excited to have a space where more people could join us." He didn't go into details at that time, but did add that there might be "updates across a range of our platforms," and it could involve Windows products and Visual Studio. (Guggenheimer didn't say there would be definite announcements around those products, only that there could be.)
Certainly, speculation will revolve around what Microsoft will announce about "Windows Blue," the codename for the next version of Windows 8. Earlier today, Mary Jo Foley, who covers Microsoft and is a columnist for Redmond magazine, quoted a source as saying that Windows Blue will be officially named "Windows 8.1" when released later this summer.
Given how quickly previous Build shows have sold out, it would be wise for developers to sign up as soon as possible. As Guggenheimer told me last week, "Even with Moscone, I'm pretty sure we'll sell out pretty quick."
The Build Web site is here.
About the Author
Keith Ward is the editor in chief of Virtualization & Cloud Review. Follow him on Twitter @VirtReviewKeith.