Las Vegas — Microsoft on Tuesday went ahead and surprised the masses at the CTIA Wireless 2008 Conference in Las Vegas, demonstrated new features for its Windows Mobile 6.1 platform, including Internet Explorer and Adobe Flash capabilities.
“Most people demand for an exclusive phone that is versatile enough to meet their needs throughout the day, whether it is related to work or your everyday life,” said Robbie Bach, president of the Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division. “The innovations we have added to our Windows Mobile software ultimately make it easier to manage your world.”
The company unveiled several new set of tools and programs that are part of the Windows Mobile 6.1 package for businesses to manage mobile devices, said Derek Snyder, product manager, Microsoft Windows Mobile.
The integrated updated edition of Internet Explorer Mobile offers support for H.264, Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight and adds up the ability to view full-screen Web pages and multimedia on the Web with a smartphone.
Snyder stated that the latest Windows Mobile platform, which is estimated to hit the market “within the next couple of months,” is designed to meld the needs of both work and leisure on wireless devices and to help create a device that can be used for both professional and personal purposes.
“Windows Mobile 6.1 is planned for the second half of the year. It will boast an easier set-up, improved messaging features and support for new administrative tools.”
The Redmond Company promised that the new mobile OS and its browser would bring “desktop grade” Web browsing to mobile devices. The new Internet Explorer would allow users to view full-screen Web pages and multimedia on their smartphones just as they would on a PC. There is also an enhanced zoom feature that makes document and Web navigation easier, Microsoft said.
The revised Windows Mobile UI looks good, works well, and gives the Windows Mobile platform the aesthetic boost that it has needed for a few years now. The home-screen has been restructured with a “sliding panel” UI. Windows Mobile 6.1 offers enhanced protection and effortless setup of mobile-phone features like e-mail, headsets and Wi-Fi.
Windows Mobile 6.1 offers a number of upgrades based on customer feedback, users of the new Windows Mobile will be able to effortlessly flag, delete or move groups of messages and keep track of conversations through threaded text messaging, together with the capability to make the most critical information readily available at a glance, quicker phone setup, and enhanced features adapted for the small screen, Microsoft said.
Microsoft is also planning to work with various mobile carriers, including O2, Orange and Verizon, to offer a standard mobile services plan which would bundle devices, administrative tools and service plans into a single offering.