Microsoft
and Vodafone are stepping up their development partnership to further improve
Windows Mobile. In future, Microsoft will be working in close collaboration with
the Vodafone Test & Innovation Centre in Düsseldorf from the development phase
onwards.
The centre is 7,000 square meters in size and it has all the components of an
ultra-modern wireless network, from base station through billing systems to
multimedia platforms. The Düsseldorf test environment delivers the same capacity
that a wireless network in Switzerland would require. The high-tech laboratory
on the banks of the Rhine, where the Vodafone Group implements the majority of
its international development projects, is the place where new hardware and
software solutions for use in wireless networks are tested under realistic
conditions - right up to series production readiness if necessary.

"Demand from Vodafone customers for Windows Mobile as an operating system for
mobile phones and smartphones is on the increase. One of the main advantages of
our partnership is fast times to market for new versions of the software in
Europe. We achieve this by implementing tests throughout the development phase,"
said Friedrich Joussen, CEO of Vodafone Germany.
"Vodafone and Microsoft want to deliver an operating system for Windows
Mobile users that leaves absolutely nothing to be desired when it comes to
convenience of operation and range of functions. Smartphones are also growing in
popularity with private consumers. We're planning to open up the market even
further with Vodafone's help," said Achim Berg, CEO of Microsoft Germany.
The telecommunications enterprises profit from the competence and broad
experience of around 150 highly specialized Vodafone engineers and technicians
who work at the centre. Microsoft also uses Vodafone network technology at its
US head office in Redmond.
Windows Mobile E-Mail from Vodafone enables customers to enjoy a direct push
E-Mail service on the move. E-Mails, contacts, calendar entries and tasks are
synchronized directly with the Microsoft Exchange Server. PowerPoint Mobile
presentations can be viewed, and Excel Mobile and Word Mobile attachments can be
opened, edited and forwarded. The mobile terminal has a user interface that
anyone familiar with Microsoft Office will recognize. People who use PC E-Mail
programs and have experience with Microsoft Windows will have no problem using
the terminals, which means faster benefits for the company and higher employee
productivity.
Windows Mobile E-Mail by Vodafone is easy to integrate in existing Microsoft
Exchange Server solutions (version 2003 and higher). No further investments are
necessary in additional servers or hardware, so Windows Mobile E-Mail is a
reliable, cost-efficient and scalable mobile E-Mail solution.
Cheers ~ Arne