| 11th May 2005 - In a packed hall of
developers and industry partners at Microsoft Mobile
& Embedded DevCon 2005, Microsoft Corp.'s annual
mobile and embedded developers conference, Bill
Gates, chairman and chief software architect of
Microsoft, announced the release to manufacturing
(RTM) of Windows Mobile (TM) 5.0. This new version
of the Windows Mobile software platform delivers
on partner requests, including more platform flexibility
to customize devices and solutions; productivity
enhancements that include updated Microsoft Office
software and persistent memory storage for more
efficient data management; and a powerful multimedia
experience with Windows Media® Player 10 Mobile
and support for hard drives. |
|
Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect keynoting
at Microsoft Mobile & Embedded DevCon 2005, Las
Vegas, May 10, 2005.
Click image to enlarge.
Just five years ago, the first Windows Mobile-based
Pocket PCs shipped from three hardware partners. Today
40 device-makers are shipping innovative Windows Mobile-based
products with 68 mobile operators in 48 countries. These
hardware and mobile operator partners have contributed
to Windows Mobile revenue growth of 31 percent from
2003 to 2004 and phone license sales more than double
those of the previous year.
"In the past five years, there's been a profound
shift in the kind of data and services people access
on their mobile devices -- from multimedia to business
applications," Gates said. "Windows Mobile
5.0 enables our industry partners to develop exciting
new hardware designs and solutions that will revolutionize
how customers use mobile devices."
"Windows Mobile 5.0 is an important evolutionary
step for the Windows Mobile platform, which continues
to gain traction worldwide," said John Jackson,
Yankee Group senior analyst. "Enhancements in the
platform give wireless network operators and mobile
device vendors the ability to deliver customized, differentiated
services and devices, while meeting the market's demand
for robust, scalable, segmented offerings."
Customization Options
Enhancements in Windows Mobile 5.0 will provide device-makers
and mobile operators with more options to differentiate
themselves from competitors and ultimately provide end
users with a wider range of converged devices. Partners
can take advantage of the following features:
- New technologies. Increased platform flexibility,
the top customization request, enables partners to
plug in differentiated technologies such as "push-to-talk"
or video calling and conferencing.
- Network support. Support for higher-bandwidth 3G
networks, Wi-Fi for the Smartphone platform and improvements
to existing Bluetooth® support enable more flexibility
to integrate mobile phone services across a variety
of networks.
- One-handed operation. Across the Windows Mobile
platform, soft-key integration, landscape display
orientation and QWERTY keyboard support will enable
hardware partners to develop compelling devices with
improved one-handed keyboard navigation that empowers
customers to access their information without a stylus.
Building on the more than 18,000 commercial Windows
Mobile-based applications available today, developers
can utilize tools available in the Beta 2 of Visual
Studio® 2005 and new application programming interfaces
(APIs) to quickly and easily develop a variety of rich
mobile applications such as location-based services,
3-D gaming and video that bring to life compelling entertainment
and productivity scenarios. Further, integration with
Microsoft SQL Server (TM) 2005 Community Technology
Preview in Windows Mobile 5.0, along with integration
with the Beta 2 of Visual Studio 2005, allows businesses
to extend critical business information and applications
to mobile devices in the field.
Increased Productivity
With its updated and enhanced look, Windows Mobile 5.0
enables industry partners to create devices and solutions
that provide mobile information workers with more efficient
and secure access to information. These refinements
include the following:
- Persistent memory storage. The most requested productivity
feature from partners and customers alike, persistent
memory storage retains information even when the device's
battery is depleted.
- Microsoft Office software for Windows Mobile. Users
will be able to view and create charts in Excel Mobile,
and edit documents with graphics using Word Mobile
while maintaining document formatting with files created
on a PC. A new PowerPoint® Mobile application
has been included for Pocket PC, giving road warriors
the ability to view and rehearse presentations.
- Security. Complementing a number of security features
already included in the Windows Mobile platform, such
as Bluetooth authorization and end-to-end encryption
over a virtual private network, Windows Mobile 5.0
has gone through extensive threat-modeling testing
and completed the rigorous Microsoft Trustworthy Computing
full security review. The platform is also FIPS-140-2-certified,
meaning it meets the stringent U.S. government security
requirements for IT products.
Integrated Multimedia
With the more than 25 Windows Mobile content partners,
the ability to play multimedia files has long been a
hallmark of the platform. Windows Mobile 5.0 offers
enhancements that enable industry partners to provide
a more powerful and personalized multimedia experience
through the following features:
- Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. Customers can enjoy
a larger number of protected digital music, video
and recorded television files that can be synchronized
easily from a PC or downloaded from many Internet-based
services and mobile operators' music stores with Windows
Media Player 10 Mobile. The updated player also enables
synchronization of users' playlists, album art and
song ratings. Partners can plug in additional digital
rights management (DRM) technologies to help advance
their specific media business models.Pictures and
video. A new pictures and video application will add
advanced features such as burst mode and timer function
previously found only on high-end digital cameras.
- Extended storage. Additional support for hard drives
and Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 will enable people
to easily and quickly store large amounts of information
-- such as entire digital picture and music libraries
-- on a mobile device and synchronize this content
with a PC.
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