Furthering its vision to connect the PC, Web and phone, Microsoft Corp. today announced strong industry support for Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Marketplace for Mobile as well as new applications for Windows phones. Joining a long list of mobile developers, EA Mobile and MySpace announced plans to deliver Windows phone applications through Windows Marketplace for Mobile. In his keynote address at International CTIA WIRELESS 2009, Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft, will introduce an alliance with two prominent design houses through which fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi will demonstrate ways people can customize their Windows phone to fit their personal style.

Mobile Application Leaders Sign Up to Develop for Windows Marketplace for Mobile
Companies representing the top-selling categories of mobile applications today signed on to be among the first to offer applications through Windows Marketplace for Mobile. They include AccuWeather.com., The Associated Press, CNBC, Developer One Mobile Software, EA Mobile, Facebook, Gameloft, Glu Mobile, Handmark, Ilium Software Inc., Jeyo Inc., Kinoma, LiteScape, Magmic Games, Melodis Corp., MySpace, Namco Networks, Netflix, Pandora, PhatWare Corp., Resco s.r.o., ShoZu Inc., Sling Media Inc., SBSH Mobile Software, Spb Software, Web Information Solutions Inc. and Zagat Survey.

Resulting applications will provide new and unique gaming, social networking, media, utility and personal productivity experiences for the next generation of Windows phones. Windows Marketplace for Mobile, available later this year, provides another venue for people to get the applications they want the way they want, right on their phone. Current Windows phone users already have access to more than 20,000 applications through multiple distribution partners.

Customers will have the option to purchase applications on Windows Marketplace for Mobile with a credit card or have charges appear directly on their phone bill. In addition, people will be able to return an application after purchase within 24 hours for a full refund. Microsoft also announced today that developers will now be able to deliver updates to their applications for free throughout the application lifecycle.

Mobile operators that partner with Microsoft on Windows Marketplace for Mobile also will gain access to a branded section of the catalog, where they will be able to market their own applications and services to their customer base.

Windows Phones Take Individual Expression to a New Level
Through new partnerships with the Design Museum London and Council of Fashion Designers of America, Microsoft will offer a variety of free designer themes to help people express their personal style on Windows phones. Microsoft today announced Mizrahi as the first in a series of designers to create exclusive themes, including color palettes and wallpaper. Other designers will be announced in the coming months.

In addition, the new Theme Generator will provide people with yet another way to personalize their Windows phone. The Theme Generator, available at http://www.windowsmobile.com later this year, will enable Windows phone users to select pictures from their PC to set as background images, as well as choose colors to personalize their navigation bar, scroll bar and highlighted text. Once finished, their personal theme will be sent to their phone.

Windows Phones Making Available New Ways to Connect to Friends and Family
Social networking has emerged as a popular form of expression, communication and sharing for mobile phone users. Windows Mobile users will be able to engage and experience some of the most popular global social networks right from their Windows phone, including Facebook, MySpace and Windows Live. Microsoft has created a new Facebook application, available for Windows phones for free in April, that makes it easy for people to capture video on their phone and upload it to Facebook. A new MySpace application, available for free this summer, gives Windows phone customers real-time access to their global MySpace network. LG Electronics Inc. will preload the MySpace application on its Windows phones.

Microsoft also announced that Windows Live for Mobile will be available for free download this week for customers in 25 languages. Windows Live for Mobile is the company's mobile suite of Internet services designed specifically to take advantage of the Windows Mobile platform. It includes mobile versions of Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Contacts, Windows Live Spaces, Microsoft Live Search and enhanced photo upload capabilities. Customers who have Windows Mobile 6.x phones can visit http://wl.windowsmobile.com on April 2 to download the suite.

The company also will launch a new beta version of Windows Live Hotmail available through a mobile Web browser. The release includes a new and improved user interface, navigation enhancements for touch-screen devices, the ability to see full HTML pages within E-Mail messages and a new search feature that enables people to find important E-Mail messages more easily. The beta version is available at http://m.mail.live.com.

Cheers ~ Arne