Microsoft & Drupal sitting in a tree...

We've got some rather exciting news... We've been approached by Microsoft to take part in an interesting Drupal project. We're being sponsored to create a suite of modules that will allow for better integration and showcasing of Microsoft technologies whilst at the same time benefiting small NGOs.

As well as myself & Ben Alexander from HomeMade, the following UK Drupal super heroes will also be taking part - the mighty Robert Castelo, the fantastic Mori Sugimoto, the invincible Django Beatty and the irrepressible David Nattriss. They'll also be blogging about their adventures, so make sure you check what they're saying too.

Like I said, the idea behind the project is to develop some usable tools for smaller NGOs which allow themselves to tell their stories and fundraise effectively online. We're fully aware of the efforts of CiviCRM, the Ubercart donations, etc. We simply felt that for the smaller charity some of these modules were too cumbersome and their learning curve too steep. Mori has summed this up perfectly over at his blog. Having said that, we're not going to re-invent the wheel where it doesn't need re-inventing, we're absolutely about sticking to Drupal core values and extending existing modules where appropriate.

The last couple of weeks kicking off this project have been a real eye-opener. I didn't realise how much work Microsoft are doing with open source, they're sponsoring PHP conferences, contributing code and setting up projects like this one. I'm rather looking forward to getting my hands dirty and setting up Azure servers, playing with Bing Maps, kicking the tyres of Silverlight and generally experimenting with all things Microsoft.

Don't worry, I haven't turned into a Microsoft fanboy just yet. We've been asked as part of the project to blog openly and honestly about our experiences - so expect some glowing reports and swearing rants in equal measure.