The Seattle Times wanted to create native mobile apps that provided better user experiences than those of its existing apps. With the Microsoft universal App platform, it created native mobile apps for Windows tablets and Windows phones with a single development effort, a single code base, and Microsoft Azure on the backend. Developer productivity went up 33 percent; operating cost savings are 50 percent; and the company praises the feature-rich, “Gorgeous” mobile and tablet apps that are powered by a highly scalable yet cost-effective back end.