Microsoft announcements 05-18-05

Microsoft: was very active this week, announcing new products, extending deal with SUN and confirming its strategy in the OSS market. Launching its new Windows Mobile 5.0 new OS, Bill Gates has predicted that the future for mobile music is in mobile phones, not in iPod/iTunes, citing the Apple solution as a transitive one. For some time, Microsoft is interested in mobile music downloads and the Apple success is intolerable. The move is not just a marketing campaign to promote Windows Mobile, but surely a strong interest to enter the lucrative mobile music market.

Microsoft reinforced technological links with SUN. The deal includes a $2bn payment by Microsoft to Sun to settle an antitrust suit and a 10-year technological collaboration agreement. The main goal of this collaboration seems to compete with IBM. So Sun will build workstations and servers running Windows OS and Microsoft will certify those systems are meeting quality standards. A win-winstrategy?

With perseverance, Microsoft recall its interest in the OSS/BSS market. With telcos moving to IP-based networks, Microsoft believes it can play a keyrole in the operational support system solutions, in spite of the splash of its recent attempt with the Connected Services Framework suite launched in February this year. The new product is called Customer Care Framework, and targets to commoditize the OSS market. But up to now, Microsoft only had a small impact on the telco market. Will telcos buy the story? There is always a gap between intention and realization, so let see...