Two years ago while I was working at dotMobi, I was one of the programmers working on the DeviceAtlas project, which launched at Mobile World Congress 2008. At the time, it was the largest launch I’d been involved in and it was quite a ride towards the end – when you’re launching to 60,000 people at the largest trade show in the world for your industry, the pressure is enormous.

So when Suura undertook to demo at this year’s Mobile World Congress, I knew we were in for a major project with a high workload. Or at least I thought I did, but if anything, I underestimated how much pressure there is for a small startup at this event. I’d like to say everything got done in normal business hours without stress, but I think everyone who’s ever even attended — let alone exhibited at — MWC would call me a liar! Not least of whom would be the me who found himself working away at some exceptionally unsocial hours during the lead-up to the event…

However, as in 2008, we learnt a lot in a short space of time, got an enormous amount done against rather high odds, and managed to get to Barcelona on time (and, as in 2008, we then slept for a week ).

For anyone who’s not seen MWC in action, it’s rather hard to describe. For a start, it’s big. Big as in sixty thousand people all walking, talking and working in eight halls (most of which are much larger than most aircraft hangers) spread over FIRA, a campus that’s larger than the entire Trinity College campus (FIRA is 250,000 m² while TCD is only 190,000m²):

It’s absolutely enormous, especially when you’re the first one of … Read the rest