Microsoft Corp. threw its rather large hat in the wireless arena at last week’s 3GSM World Congress, announcing plans to launch software aimed at multimedia-enabled phones that leverage its Windows-based software.
Microsoft said the smart phone platform, code named “Stinger,” is built on a version of its Windows CE 3.0 operating system, specifically optimized for mobile phones to extend battery life and reduce memory requirements. The company said it expects Stinger-based phones to require 8 megabytes of memory and operate on networks with data speeds of between 100 and 150 kilobytes per second, basically the ability of third-generation networks.
“Investments in high-bandwidth networks such as GPRS and UMTS will allow operators to offer value-added services across their networks that will enable a new era of collaboration, information and multimedia services,” said Ben Waldman, vice president of the mobile data division at Microsoft. “It is critical to ensure that handsets which come to market can deliver the type of advanced functionality and benefits promised to the end user.”
The software is designed to run applications written in open-standards based software, including WAP and XML, but Microsoft noted software specifically written to Stinger specifications would provide the fullest multimedia experience.
Along with the software announcement in Europe, where wireless carriers are expected to spend billions on 3G licenses and networks that can most benefit from Stinger’s capabilities, Microsoft reported agreements with handset manufacturers and operators to implement the platform.
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. have said they will use Stinger in Web-enabled handsets, while Britain’s Sendo plc demonstrated the first color prototype of its Z100 Smartphone using the Stinger platform. The phone, a tri-band GPRS model, is expected to be widely available by the end of the year.
“This announcement is very significant to the development of wireless data services markets worldwide,” said Neil Ward-Dutton, a consultant at Ovum. “The world’s largest software company is starting to put its new smart phone platform in the hands of the innovators who will shape the next generation of handsets.”
Ovum said it expects 1.95 billion cellular subscribers worldwide by 2006, and that 894 million of them will be active microbrowser users.
Wireless operators expected to jump in with Microsoft include Australia’s Telstra Corp., Germany’s T-Mobil, Spain’s Telefonica and Vodafone UK, all of which announced plans to test Microsoft data services on their networks.
Even with the big news, many analysts felt the announcement was not big enough noting, few of the leading handset manufacturers had signed up for Stinger. Nokia Corp., Motorola Inc. and Ericsson are expected to use Microsoft competitor Symbian Ltd.’s software for their next generation smart phones.
Other analysts remarked that while getting Microsoft into the wireless world may spur the development of applications, the current wireless environment may not be ready for a Stinger future.
“With the expected $800 price tag for phones using the platform, users will have to be very sure they want a new phone,” said Larry Swasey, senior vice president of communications research at Allied Business Intelligence Inc. “Also, we are not sure the Stinger phone will be a big seller with the lack of applications set to be written for it. We think they might be a little ahead of their time.”
Swasey also noted that the timing of the announcement was crucial for Microsoft, as many of the handset manufacturers were beginning to doubt their ability to produce desirable models after phone sales for last year came in a little short.
“Microsoft is giving manufacturers their hand to hold on to, to pull themselves out of a ditch, if there is one,” Swasey said.
Further entrenching itself in the wireless world, Microsoft also announced it was joining the GSM Association as an associate member, providing its Windows Powered SIM Smart Cards to mobile network operators looking to deploy mobile commerce applications based on the Windows platform.
“We are delighted to welcome Microsoft as an associate member of the GSM Association,” said Jim Healy, chair of the GSM Association. “Microsoft is very much at the forefront of the exciting 1/8new wave’ of leading-edge technology suppliers to the wireless industry. Its focus is GSM because it sees major opportunities with more than 400 network operators that supply over 70 percent of the world’s customers for wireless services.”
