A few days ago Microsoft^[1] did a reboot of their mobile phone strategy with the launch of Windows Phone 7^[2]. Microsoft for the past few years have been watching from the stands as Apple^[3] and Google^[4] have built up a dominant empire around their mobile phone operating systems. That’s probably why Microsoft is taking a page out of Apple’s book when it first launched the iPhone.

Electronista is reporting that an employee has revealed that Microsoft gave away 100 Windows Phone 7^[5] smartphones to AT&T^[6] employees during an event in Minneapolis. It isn’t clear whether this was just a regional giveaway or a national one, but the employee did state that it was an attempt to get AT&T employees familiar with Windows Phone 7 before they are released in stores on November 7th. Apple took a similar approach when it first launched the iPhone^[7] in 2007. To help spread the gospel of the new phone Apple gave an 8GB iPhone to all of its full-time professional and retail workers.

Read more at Electronista^[8].

References

1. ^{^} Microsoft (www.geek.com)
2. ^{^} launch of Windows Phone 7 (www.geek.com)
3. ^{^} Apple (www.geek.com)
4. ^{^} Google (www.geek.com)
5. ^{^} Windows Phone 7 (www.geek.com)
6. ^{^} AT&T (www.geek.com)
7. ^{^} iPhone (www.geek.com)
8. ^{^} Electronista (www.electronista.com)

Dueling Analogs by Steve Napierski

How many times has this happened: Someone shows up at a wedding reception, but they get there so late that the buffet has already been worked over like a zebra carcass eaten by slavering hyenas. The shrimp platter is decimated. The caviar station is empty. Nothing but gristle, fat and bone at the turkey and roast beef carving stations. The sterno is burned out, and the only rolls left are rock-hard pumpernickel. Even the crudite plate only has a few lonely pieces of wilted celery left.

Microsoft usually shows up 15 minutes later than that.

Microsoft never innovates. They sometimes improve upon others’ work, or buy innovative companies outright. When they first got into the mobile computing sector, their Windows CE devices were slow, clunky, and difficult to use. They were approaching a PDA market sector that Palm Pilot had already captured and defined. The problem was that Microsoft could never wrap its corporate brain around the fact that people did not want an entire desktop OS crammed into a handheld device. Palm succeeded because its product was ridiculously easy to use.

This tone-deafness went on for years. Following iterations of Windows Mobile/Pocket PC were not easier to use. Clicking through several menus to look up a phone number was not endearing them to the people that wanted something that just worked. When Handspring brought out the Treo^[1], it was a game changer. They married the simple Palm OS with a cellphone, showing people that the days of the old Symbian-based phones were over.

Microsoft followed suit, of course. Completely ignoring the fact that their mobile operating system was trailing far behind in sales, they married it to a number of cellular handsets from third-party manufacturers. Like a monkey flinging its feces everywhere, Microsoft made sure that their Windows mobile smartphones were available on every carrier and from every major manufacturer–except Nokia, of course, which is firmly entrenched with Symbian.

Just because it’s ubuquitous in availability doesn’t make it good, and sales reflected that. A recent Gartner report on smartphone usage^[2] shows that Microsoft is way down at the bottom of global smartphone market share. Microsoft simply has not been able to capture people’s imaginations and wallets in the mobile market.

The same thing happened to Microsoft with the Zune. It’s actually a really good mobile media device. In fact, the Zune HD^[3] is an elegant, mature device. Unfortunately, even though sales of the device have increased, it has rarely managed to capture more than 10% of the mobile media player market.

The new Windows Phone 7 operating system seems to be a complete re-working of their mobile operating system. In fact, the interface more closely resembles that of the current generation Zune devices rather than the old Pocket PC interface. They did something they claimed would never happen: they built a Zune phone OS. Customers had been telling Microsoft for 15 years that their interface was too clunky and difficult to use, and when they came up with the right kind of interface on their media player device they kept refusing to put it on a smartphone.

Now they’ve finally listened to their customers, and it’s too damned late. The cycle begins anew at Redmond. They make a big noise about their new, revolutionary product, and then ignore it or even cancel it when they discover no one cares^[4].

And why is it too late? It’s not because their lunch was eaten by competitors. It’s because THERE WAS NO LUNCH LEFT. Apple regularly sets the bar with their products. The iPhone^[5] set a new standard for smartphones. Sharp, fast, smart, elegant and easy to use. It ushered in a new generation of convergence devices and every competitor scrambled to keep up.

Google’s Android^[6] operating system has become the fastest growing smartphone platform in the world, sales quickly surpassing that of Apple’s iPhone. It lives up to the standard set by Apple by being functional, elegant, and easy to use, while aslo adding capabilities that Apple has not. It also isn’t tied to one mobile carrier, and customers have a wide choice of handsets.

RIM’s BlackBerry^[7] line still has a very large market share due to its business integration capabilities and ease of use. However, I believe that they are following the path of hubris that ultimately destroyed Palm and forced them to sell out to HP. BlackBerry’s OS, even version 6, is showing its age. They are preparing to migrate to the QNX platform, but by the time they get there it might be too late. Palm took forever to move to the WebOS platform, and by the time they did it the market had already passed them by.

Symbian^[8] is still the number one handset OS in the world due to global adoption. It’s been around the longest, and has adapted and updated over the years to keep up with the latest technologies. It’s unlikely that Symbian will be unseated from its throne any time soon.

So now Microsoft finally has a mature, attractive product that consumers would love. It integrates social networking and media into a functional, easy to use interface. And it’s too late, because the Bar Mitzvah boy already opened his presents, ate his cake and everyone is heading out to their cars to go home. The DJ and photographers have already packed up and left.

And this guy promoting it? Looks like he’s already been to the buffet too many times anyway:

References

1. ^{^} Treo (en.wikipedia.org)
2. ^{^} recent Gartner report on smartphone usage (en.wikipedia.org)
3. ^{^} Zune HD (www.zune.net)
4. ^{^} cancel it when they discover no one cares (www.engadget.com)
5. ^{^} iPhone (www.apple.com)
6. ^{^} Android (www.android.com)
7. ^{^} BlackBerry (www.blackberry.com)
8. ^{^} Symbian (www.symbian.org)

References

1. ^{^} press conference (www.microsoft.com)
2. ^{^} Kin (consumerist.com)
3. ^{^} New Devices on Display as Windows Phone 7 Availability Dates Announced (www.microsoft.com)

A HTC smartphone (R) and an Apple iPhone are displayed for the photographer at a mobile phone shop in Taipei in this March 3, 2010 file photo.

Credit: Reuters/Nicky Loh

HELSINKI/SEOUL (Reuters) - Cellphone vendors' views on sales during the year-end holiday season will be in focus when top handset makers report quarterly results, starting with Sony Ericsson on Friday.

The cellphone market overall is set to grow around 11 percent this year, led by smartphone sales which are expected to increase more than 50 percent as high-end focused vendors like Apple and HTC see a surge in demand.

Further increasing the rivalry at the high-end, Microsoft is starting its last-ditch attempt to stage a comeback with nine new phone models.

"We expect price erosion and margin pressures, which have characterized 2010, to intensify in the final quarter with an increased supply of high-tier devices," said Geoff Blaber, analyst with wireless research firm CCS Insight.

In the July-September quarter the cellphone market is forecast to grew 10.1 percent from a year ago, helped by recovering economies and boosted by strong growth in smartphones, a Reuters poll of 32 analysts showed.

Among top smartphone vendors, HTC and Research in Motion have already reported strong demand in the quarter.

"The big question mark here is European consumer demand, which may have been a bit muted in the August-September period," said Tero Kuittinen, analyst at MKM Partners.

MOST PROFITABLE

Helped by good demand for its new Google phones, Sony Ericsson, the world's fifth-largest handset vendor by volume, is expected say it sold 12 million phones in the September quarter, when it reports on October 15.

Google's Android phones also helped Taiwan's HTC Corp, the world's No. 4 smartphone brand, which reported a near doubling in third-quarter profit on October 6.

Apple, No 6 in volume but the most profitable handset maker, is expected to unveil sales of 11.5 million iPhones when it reports on October 18. Nokia, the volume leader, will report on October 21, and No 7 Motorola on October 28.

Nokia Chief Executive Stephen Elop will present results for the first time having taken the helm of the company last month. The group is expected to have sold 115 million phones in the quarter, growing slightly but losing some market share to Samsung Electronics and Apple.

Korean cellphone vendors Samsung and LG Electronics are due to report at the end of the month.

Samsung showed a strong recovery last quarter, driven by the success of its Galaxy S smartphone which sold more than 5 million units since its June launch. It last month raised its 2010 smartphone sales target to 25 million units from 18 million.

LG, however, is facing more challenging times ahead.

*We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters.

   (Seattle, WA)  --  Microsoft is seeing some success in its attempt to get a foothold in the smartphone market.
   The company's lineup of nine new multi-featured smartphones won positive reviews at this morning's launch events in New York and London.
   The new phones will be similar in look and feel to the iPhone.
   The phone's features include Xbox and Zune music software.
   Three of the new phones will be available on AT&T's network  in the U.S. in November.
   Analysts say the new lineup is Microsoft's last chance to catch up with rivals in the smartphone industry.

   (Copyright 2010 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions)

«back^[1]

References

1. ^{^} «back (www.google.com)

Microsoft, together with its partners, took the wraps off of several forthcoming smartphones that will be running Microsoft's new highly-anticipated operating system, Windows Phone 7.^[1][2]

Microsoft's tagline for Windows Phone 7 is "Always delightful and wonderfully mine." Windows Phone is "a different kind of phone," Microsoft CEO Ballmer said during a Windows Phone 7 press conference. "Get in, out, and back to life."

Microsoft has a lot riding on the new mobile platform: Ballmer, who saw his bonus docked^[3] over the firm's recent mobile missteps, has admitted^[4] that the company missed a cycle and is now playing catch-up in the mobile arena.

Microsoft said in a press release^[5], "The goal for Microsoft’s latest smartphone is an ambitious one: to deliver a phone that truly integrates the things people really want to do, puts those things right in front of them, and either lets them get finished quickly or immerses them in the experience they were seeking."

The lineup of smartphones running Windows Phone 7 will be available in the U.S., as well as Europe and Asia, in "the holiday 2010 timeframe," according to Microsoft^[6]. Ballmer said during a press conference that Windows Phone 7 phones would be available in the U.S. by November 8.

In the U.S., AT&T will be offerring 3 phones running Windows Phone 7: the HTC Surround, Samsung Focus, and LG Quantum. T-Mobile will be offerring the HTC HD7 and Dell Venue Pro to its customers in the United States.

See photos of the phones and of Windows Phone 7 in the slideshow below, then check out early reviews^[7] of the operating system.

Windows Phone 7 Start Screen

Unimpressive I Like The Looks Of That

 | Become a fan^[8]

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

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 | Become a fan^[9]

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

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Get HuffPost Technology On Twitter^[10], Facebook^[11], and Google Buzz^[12]! Know something we don't? E-mail us at technology@huffingtonpost.com^[13]

References

1. ^{^} took the wraps off (www.microsoft.com)
2. ^{^} Windows Phone 7. (www.huffingtonpost.com)
3. ^{^} bonus docked (www.huffingtonpost.com)
4. ^{^} admitted (www.zdnet.com)
5. ^{^} press release (www.microsoft.com)
6. ^{^} Microsoft (www.microsoft.com)
7. ^{^} early reviews (www.huffingtonpost.com)
8. ^{^} Become a fan (www.huffingtonpost.com)
9. ^{^} Become a fan (www.huffingtonpost.com)
10. ^{^} Twitter (twitter.com)
11. ^{^} Facebook (www.facebook.com)
12. ^{^} Google Buzz (www.google.com)
13. ^{^} technology@huffingtonpost.com (www.huffingtonpost.com)

The new phones, from handset makers including Samsung (SSNHY), LG (LGLD) and HTC (HTCXF), will be available with AT&T (T) coverage starting next month, Reuters reported.^[2][3][4][5]

Sponsored Links

The new phone will resemble Apple's (AAPL^[6]) iPhone, with a touch screen and colored tiles to let users access services like e-mail and music.

Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, has just 5% of the smartphone market, compared with 17% for Google's (GOOG^[7]) Android platform.

Worldwide sales of smartphones will rise 56% in 2010, according to research company Gartner. Sales of personal computers are expected to rise 19%.

Earlier this year, Microsoft pulled its Kin phone less than three months after the launch. The Kin was aimed at teenagers.

References

1. ^{^} MSFT (-%20http)
2. ^{^} SSNHY (www.dailyfinance.com)
3. ^{^} LGLD (www.dailyfinance.com)
4. ^{^} HTCXF (www.dailyfinance.com)
5. ^{^} Reuters reported. (www.reuters.com)
6. ^{^} AAPL (www.dailyfinance.com)
7. ^{^} GOOG (www.dailyfinance.com)

Exactly one month ago, the employees at Microsoft’s Redmond HQ threw a funeral procession cum party^[1] celebrating the demise of the iPhone and the Blackberry. The event, while obviously tongue-in-cheek, was a clear sign of how confident Microsoft was feeling about completing work on its new Windows Phone 7 (WP7). The message was clear: Microsoft has designed an “iPhone killer”. Today, October 12, that claim will be put to the test as Microsoft launches WP7 to a sceptical public.

It is hard to over-emphasize how important this launch is for Microsoft, the company that once defined personal computing, but which today seems to be only a shadow of its former self. “This is an 11 on a scale of one to 10,” said Ramon Llamas of technology research firm IDC^[2]. “Microsoft has been slow to come to market, and when they do, they use yesterday’s technology. There’s some catching up to do.”

Technology analysis firm Gartner^[3] was scathing, predicting that the launch is likely to be a non-event, stating that “….Windows Phone 7, set to be formally introduced next week, will barely move the needle on the company’s dismal share of the smartphone OS market”.

The launch will be handled by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer^[4], who came across as quietly confident to the Wall Street Journal^[5]. Ballmer acknowledged that Google and Apple have moved really quickly to dominate the mobile space, but he noted that “the fact that things have been pretty dynamic means that they’re probably still pretty dynamic”. Back in 2007, Ballmer infamously commented that “there’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.” History has proven him catastrophically wrong, as the iPhone went on to become Apple’s best-selling product of all time.

There have been hints, forecasts and a general feeling that Microsoft may be about to launch something special. During technical previews of the phone, definitive mobile blog Engadget wrote^[6] “We were extremely surprised and impressed by the software’s touch responsiveness and speed,” while ZDNet.com^[7] reported “I am blown away by how stable this version of the software is”.

There was further positive, if not exactly glowing, analysis^[8] on tech-blog MobileCrunch in July, which neatly captured the underlying dilemna: “…while lovely, WP7 has an absolutely ridiculous mountain to climb. Microsoft is returning as an underdog in an arena where they once reigned as champion — and they’re an underdog with weights tied to their feet and a reputation of being too old to fight. They’re miles behind the competition, both in timing and functionality.”

Microsoft has chosen not to develop its own handsets at this stage, but rather to work with Samsung, HTC and LG to supply handsets, which will reportedly be available before Christmas. Ballmer again: “We put out to our partners that we were going to build on a certain minimal so-called hardware chassis. So you could say we did some design work, but we’re certainly not selling phones.” The Associated Press notes that “smartphones powered by WP7 will run email from various services, not just Microsoft’s Hotmail, integrate calenders, contacts and social networks and allow for documents to be viewed, edited and shared using Microsoft Office. WP7, which represents a shift for Microsoft from the enterprise market to the consumer, will also allow users to tap into Microsoft’s Zune music player ecosystem and to access mobile versions of Xbox 360 games.”

Microsoft, while under pressure, has not been completely without success over the last year. Its search engine, Bing, has steadily won over critics, while the Windows 7 operating system has relegated Vista to a distant bad memory. But the train smash that was Microsoft Kin^[9] is looming large over the new smartphones. For those who missed it, the Kin was a range of mobile phones that were launched by Microsoft and Verizon in April 2010 and discontinued only six weeks later. The reasons are many, but essentially the phone was over-priced, had no apps or game features, and could barely manage what other smartphones do in their sleep. Critically, it also lacked any cool factor at all, and this is something that WP7 has to get right.

The launch, which takes place in New York at the Microsoft Technology Centre, kicks off at 3PM Eastern Time and you can watch it all as it happens right here^[10].

References

1. ^{^} funeral procession cum party (www.neowin.net)
2. ^{^} IDC (en.wikipedia.org)
3. ^{^} Gartner (www.gartner.com)
4. ^{^} Steve Ballmer (en.wikipedia.org)
5. ^{^} Wall Street Journal (http)
6. ^{^} Engadget wrote (www.networkworld.com)
7. ^{^} ZDNet.com (www.networkworld.com)
8. ^{^} analysis (www.mobilecrunch.com)
9. ^{^} Microsoft Kin (en.wikipedia.org)
10. ^{^} here (geniusgeeks.com)

PHOENIX - The Apple iPhone is number one in mind share, Google Android is gaining ground, Blackberry is trying to stay alive and a few other smartphone operating systems are fighting for a piece of the pie. Do we really need another mobile platform? Microsoft thinks so.

On Monday the company will hold a media conference in New York City to launch its new Windows Phone 7 operating system. Microsoft’s previous mobile operating system, Windows Mobile, has been dying a slow death since the iPhone and Android came out. Now, Microsoft is trying to reinvent itself in the mobile world.

The problem is, they’re way behind in the race. Microsoft has already admitted that some pretty big features will be missing form the first version of Windows Phone 7 (including copy and paste, just like the original iPhone). Sure, Microsoft is big enough to move fast but is it too little too late? Can they really steal the market away from Apple and Google?

The easy answer to that question is, no. They can’t and they won’t. Nonetheless, they don’t have to. The majority of cell phone users don’t have what’s known as a smartphone. Sure, it seems like we see iPhones and Blackberrys everywhere these days, but the fact is that most people still have flip phones that don’t do much more than make phone calls and send text messages. The future market for smartphones is much bigger than the existing market.

Microsoft will have to make a big splash, impress people out of the gate and innovate quickly. They’ll also be facing some stiff competition from HP/Palm, Nokia and Blackberry who are also fighting for market share. It will be a game of survival, and I don’t think all of these mobile platforms will survive.

Will Microsoft be able to pull this off or will Windows Phone 7 end up being another Zune? It’s tough to say. The early screenshots of the OS look interesting. Monday will be a big deal and the next year will be a big year. The good thing is that with all of the competition, consumers win. Companies will innovate faster, keep prices reasonable and we will end up with smartphones that do so much more.

News^[1]

Microsoft Pays Smartphone Patent Royalties to Access Co

• By Kurt Mackie^[2]
• 10/08/2010

Microsoft paid royalties on smartphone patents held by Access Co. Ltd., according to an announcement issued on Thursday.

The patents involved weren't disclosed. The news came via a jointly issued press release^[3] from Tokyo-based Access Co. Ltd. and Newport Beach, Calif.-based Acacia Research Corp. It's not clear why Acacia Research was involved in the settlement since the patents were held by Access. However, Acacia specializes in partnering with inventors and patent holders and licensing those technologies to corporations.

Some of the patented technologies were originally devised by other companies, including "Palm, Palmsource, Bell Communications Research and Geoworks," according to the announcement. Apparently, HP, which announced the acquisition of Palm Inc.^[4] in April, doesn't hold the patent that was licensed. An HP spokesperson explained that "when Palm spun off PalmSource the patent portfolio was split up as well. ACCESS eventually bought what was left of PalmSource, including the patents it held."

Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it had paid the royalties.

"By focusing on efficiently licensing patented innovations from other companies, we're free to develop great software and we're able to provide our partners and customers IP peace-of-mind," stated David Kaefer, general manager of intellectual property and licensing at Microsoft, in a prepared statement.

Microsoft settled a patent dispute in April with its partner HTC^[5], which makes mobile devices. This month, Microsoft announced that it is suing Motorola^[6] over patents allegedly used by the Android Linux-based mobile operating system. The Motorola dispute mirrors Microsoft's claims in the HTC lawsuit, which also targeted Android.

Mobile litigation and settlements have seemingly hit a fever pitch as Microsoft prepares for an unveiling of Windows Phone 7-based devices on Oct. 11^[7]. Horatio Gutierrez, Microsoft's corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of intellectual property and licensing, has indicated in statements that mobile lawsuits have moved beyond disputes over the radio component, especially as smartphones have begun to take on the functionality of PCs.

Still, the litigation hasn't always trended in Microsoft's favor. Microsoft's court losses to Toronto-based i4i led Microsoft to argue that the standards for disproving patents are too high^[8]. In that case, Microsoft disputed i4i's patent on "custom XML" technology, which was found to have been used in Microsoft Word.

References

1. ^{^} News (news.google.com)
2. ^{^} Kurt Mackie (mcpmag.com)
3. ^{^} press release (www.acaciaresearch.com.)
4. ^{^} acquisition of Palm Inc. (redmondmag.com)
5. ^{^} its partner HTC (redmondmag.com)
6. ^{^} suing Motorola (redmondmag.com)
7. ^{^} on Oct. 11 (redmondmag.com)
8. ^{^} are too high (redmondmag.com)
9. ^{^} Kurt Mackie (news.google.com)