Microsoft: ripening 'Mango' in mobile space

LOS ANGELES, USA: The stage is getting set. Windows creator Microsoft, through a series of partner programs, is strengthening its attempt to be the king of communications, just as it is the king of computing.

At the Windows Partner Conference which was attended by 15,000 of Microsoft's solution providers from across the world, including those who build business and consumer applications for mobile users, president of Microsoft’s Windows Phone Division, Andy Lees, said Microsoft partners will get exclusive discounts on Windows Phone devices and accompanying rate plans from mobile operators.

In fact, going much beyond that, Lees also listed down new ways for Windows Phone partners to get Mobility Competency accreditation, and a new Microsoft Partner Network application for its competency partners.

The new benefits and opportunities for members of the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) include an exclusive discount program that makes it easier for MPN members worldwide to obtain and experience Windows Phone.

The new discount program, which begins immediately, is available to all MPN members with at least one Microsoft competency. Also announced at the conference was a new MPN app for all Mobility Competency partners that will let them easy access to exclusive technical and sales content for Windows Phone while on the go. To give these partners a special identity, a special MPN logo was also unveiled.

Code-named “Mango”, the motive behind the next version of Windows Phone is to reach out to Microsoft's more than 750 million Microsoft Office users, 150 million Exchange users and 100 million licensed SharePoint users. Mango, likely to hit markets by the end of this year, will be the only phone to offer Microsoft Office Mobile and Outlook Mobile built-in. This capability can significantly enhance productivity by allowing businesses to extend their IT infrastructure and utilize Microsoft cloud-based services such as Office 365 while increasing opportunities for partners around the globe, believes Lees.

This allows Microsoft to bring a familiar platform and tools together that will help partners scale quickly and reach new customers.

“This represents a huge opportunity for partners to thrive and grow their business in the rapidly expanding Windows Phone ecosystem,” Lees added. With this perspective in mind, the call to partners to join and benefit from the expanding Windows Phone ecosystem becomes compelling.

Ever since Windows Phone 7 was launched in October last year, Microsoft has got some key players — Nokia, ZTE, Acer and Fujitsu — on its side. Plus they have now got over 42,000 developers, who have downloaded over 1.5 million toolkits, and launched more than 22,000 applications and games, which is about 100 titles everyday.

Paul Bryan, Microsoft’s senior director of Product Management, believes that, “our huge base of partners in the Microsoft Partner Network that are already very familiar with Microsoft technologies such as Exchange, SharePoint, Lync and now Office 365, can deliver great customer experiences by making all of these things available on the go with Windows Phone.”

By 2012, IDC predicts, Windows Phone has the potential to generate annual software and service revenue of $296 per Windows Phone device for Microsoft partners. Not bad.

(Ibrahim Ahmad, Group Editor, Cyber Media, was hosted in Los Angeles by Microsoft)