Microsoft Corp. announced it will extend the capabilities of its new Office Live Communications Server 2005 to wireless devices including those running its Windows Mobile platform, as well as BlackBerry gadgets from Research In Motion Ltd.
The move is notable as most industry observers see RIM and Microsoft locked in a battle over mobile workers.
Under the new offering, Microsoft said it will develop software for wireless devices to access various Communications Server functions, including instant messaging, presence and contacts services. Microsoft said the offering will allow mobile employees to work more efficiently.
The Communications Server software for Windows Mobile devices will be available later this year. The software for RIM’s BlackBerry devices will also be available by the end of this year.
In other RIM news, the company held its annual Wireless Enterprise Symposium in Orlando, Fla., and RIM partners including Flowfinity Wireless, ShareMethods, DynoPlex, Handango, Novell and Sendia released new BlackBerry applications and services.
“Having watched mobile software markets for more than six years, we’re seeing the same set of trends in BlackBerry that we saw in Symbian OS immediately before application sales skyrocketed in the fall of 2003 and Symbian OS phones began topping our device lists,” said Clint Patterson, vice president of marketing at Handango. “All of our data tells us that third-party software for BlackBerry is poised for massive growth in sales, developers and applications.”
