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Follow UsWindows Mobile 5.0, originally codenamed "Magneto", was released on May 9, 2005. It is powered by Windows CE 5.0 and uses the .NET Compact Framework 1.0 SP2 - an environment for programs based on .NET to be used.
Microsoft Corporation mobile and embedded devices (MED) division APJ regional director Jason Lim in an interview with Pragati Simlote of CyberMedia News, talks about what Windows Mobile 5.0 has to offer to its stakeholders as well as Microsoft’s expectation from the product in India.
What kind of enhancement does Windows Mobile 5.0 offer for all its stakeholders – developers and users?
Windows Mobile 5.0 was designed to enable our device makers and mobile operators to deliver rich productivity and multimedia experiences for mobile information workers and consumers through features that support broader hardware innovation and new networks and solutions; faster access to information and entertainment, and updates to familiar business applications.
Additionally, Windows Mobile 5.0 includes Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, supports technologies such as hard drives and Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, and enables improved media content organization.
Last but not least, Windows Mobile 5.0 includes numerous enhancements that allow device manufacturers, developers and end users to customize the Windows Mobile user experience, add new functionalities to specific devices, and develop new applications.
What are the security features of Windows Mobile 5.0?
Security has always been a top priority for Microsoft. As the Windows Mobile platform evolves, Microsoft will continue to provide device makers, mobile operators, IT professionals and mobile professionals with security solutions that effectively address their specific needs.
Windows Mobile 5.0 was designed with enterprise-class security in mind, to ensure that businesses always have complete control of their vital information. Microsoft’s Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) for Windows Mobile 5.0 addresses business customers’ requests for a faster, more direct messaging experience, improved security management, and increased cost efficiency and scalability for their mobile messaging solutions.
The combination of Windows Mobile and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2 offers security features such as data protection, password protection, remote and local wipe. Information transmitted between Exchange 2003 and Windows Mobile 5.0 with MSFP is SSL encrypted, and this direct connection ensures a higher level of security than solutions using a middleware email server as the data is not being routed through additional servers or a centralized network operations center (NOC) somewhere in the world.
Windows Mobile with MSFP also offers enhanced security and device management via certificate-based authentication to all Exchange data (Inbox, Contacts, Calendar, Tasks) and support for Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME).
Additionally, enterprises that require further customization, such as signing requirements, can work with OEMs and mobile operator partners to lock the devices.
What are the partnerships Microsoft seeks in India for Windows Mobile 5.0?
Microsoft’s success has been, to a large extent, a result of our close collaboration with our partners – device manufacturers, mobile operators and application developers – to deliver key innovations to meet the demands of a growing global market.
We’re currently working with 47 device makers and 115 mobile operators in 55 countries, and are definitely keen to build strong relationships in India. An example of this is our recent announcement of a strategic marketing alliance with Bharti Airtel to launch Windows Mobile 5.0 for the first time in India. We have also tied up with HP and iMate to create the form factors on which this solution would be made available. As businesses and users see the benefits of staying connected, and enjoy access to information any time, anywhere, these partnerships will put us in a stronger position to deliver value to customers in India.
What kind of adoption is being seen worldwide for Windows Mobile?
Windows Mobile has seen tremendous success worldwide. Licenses for Windows Mobile-powered-devices grew at 90 percent overall for FY06 and 95 percent in Q4. We recorded a YoY growth in excess of 40 percent for the fifth consecutive quarter and achieved fiscal year operating profitability for the first time in FY06. We now have 47 device makers actively shipping Windows Mobile-powered devices to business customers through 115 mobile operators in 55 countries. There are more than 100 different Windows Mobile-powered devices available worldwide.
We have also seen great momentum in Asia Pacific region and our device maker partners in APAC have had a tremendous year. We’re working with all the key device makers and operators in the region and have more than 30 different models and form factors running on Windows Mobile 5.0.
We’ve also just finished our first phase of mobile messaging roll out in the key markets in Asia with all the leading operators including M1 in Singapore, AIS in Thailand, Celcom in Malaysia, SmarTone-Vodafone in Hong Kong, Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan and Optus, Vodafone and Telstra in Australia.
What are your expectations from the Indian market?
We are confident of a positive response to Windows Mobile in the Indian market. Given the increasing demand for businesses to mobilize their employees, the benefits of adopting our platform are clear.
India is an important market for MED and we already have a wide number of Windows Mobile powered devices being sold in India including the i-mate KJam, i-mate Jamin, i-mate Smartflip, i-mate sp5, i-mate sp5m, i-mate Jasjar and HP iPAQs including hw 6900 and rw 6818, rw6828 and hw6960. Our recent partnership with Bharti-Airtel further reiterates our commitment to this market.
Going forward, you will see a more diverse range of applications available from Windows Mobile and key third-party developers, which will allow more functionality tailored to the personalized needs of both SMBs and mobile information workers.
One of the preconditions of using this service is that the company should have Exchange 2003. Are the Indian companies technologically geared up to utilize this service? What is the installed base of Exchange 2003 in India?
Exchange Server 2003 has a dominant market share in India and all Windows Mobile devices can communicate directly with Exchange Server 2003 without additional servers or middleware, thereby saving time and cost for enterprises to adopt mobile messaging. Microsoft’s messaging solution provides a unified device and server platform, which delivers a lower TCO (total cost of ownership) and greater scalability. This combination provides a comprehensive mobile experience that moves beyond email – from the server to the desktop to the device.
In cases where an enterprise does not have an Exchange Server 2003, Windows Mobile 5.0 can still be adopted by the mobile workforce as long as the enterprise has licensed Small Business Server or is operating on a hosted sever solution that is running on Exchange 2003.
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