Microsoft Mobile's Second Wind
4th Nov 2005, 01:18 GMT
B2.0's wireless wonk Matt Maier takes a look at what's behind the growing success of Microsoft's Windows Mobile software: By partnering with white-label electronics manufacturers such as HTC, Microsoft presented operators with a means to customize phones exactly to their network specifications, while HTC allowed the carriers to brand their own names on its phones. "We realized there had always been a love-hate relationship between carriers and big phone vendors," [product manager John] Starkweather says. By letting carriers customize its operating system to fit their needs, Microsoft was able to get a foothold in the wireless industry, despite companies like Nokia, Sony, Ericsson, and others that were hesitant to build a Windows-powered phone. Today more than three dozen device manufacturers, including Motorola, Samsung, and soon Palm (PLMO), offer smartphones that use Windows Mobile software, and nearly 100 mobile operators offer Microsoft devices to their users. During the first nine months of the year, Microsoft's partners have shipped more than 5 million smartphones using its software, which means Microsoft now maintains a 13 percent market share
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