I can’t help but follow up my post on Android OS with a post on the up and coming improvements that Microsoft is touting for their mobile OS. Anyone who’s had the pleasure to use a Windows Mobile device will have no doubt found the experience a little less satisfying than those same experiences found on say the iPhone with its intuitive touch screen functionality.
I’m not saying that touch isn’t as good on the Windows devices, but improvements to the UI can be made with introductions of items like zoom and other gestures. Microsoft are already aware of some of the minor issues with its Mobile OS and from what I’ve read have already had discussions with the industry and its users on where the improvements will be focused. These are likely to come with Windows Mobile 7, which is due around 2009/2010 according to some sources, and Windows Mobile 8 available two years after as Microsoft continue with their continuous updates to its OS software it has neglected in the past (look at the time difference between the release of XP and Vista).
In the short term, Microsoft are releasing an update to its Windows Mobile 6 platform (which will be known as 6.1), later this year. Whilst the update isn’t claiming to fix all of the issues or provide any significant updates, it does deliver some tweaks that users have requests (conversational style text messages for example). One of the biggest updates 6.1 delivers however, is the management of multiple mobile devices within a corporate environment. Using “System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008” (SCMDM), corporate phones are going to be able to connect into Active Directory for the first time and utilise the same business applications and security protocols as those found on the desktop. For example, SCMDM adds support for 130 security policy settings, as well as OTA (over the air), provisioning, inventory and reporting of the mobile device.
There is no doubt that this level of control is perfect for the business corporate environment and brings the mobile device into the fold as a ‘proper business device’. Certainly no advantage to ‘non-business’ Smartphone users, but clearly more evidence of the attempts to bring mobile devices and desktop/laptop PCs closer together, which is something Microsoft have promised big steps on by the time Windows 7 comes along.
Another area that has received the Microsoft focus has been something they are calling a “Device Manners Policy” (or DMP). Microsoft has recently applied for patients for this technology. DMP works by connecting to your mobile device and based upon the settings of the area you have entered, can switch on or off specific parts of the mobile device. As an example, if you walked into a public library, the DMP policy may automatically switch your phone to vibrate mode, or switch off the telephony features of your device, whilst at the same time activating the wireless network settings on your phone, in order for you to connect to the libraries internet connection on ‘online’ systems. Other examples are ‘quiet’ areas on trains could switch off telephony and music playback or “no photography allowed” areas could disable mobile devices camera options. As you leave these ‘restricted areas’, the devices capabilities are re-activated back to your “normal” settings.
Not a lot is known about how these “restricted” areas will be set or how Microsoft plan to implement this technology on non-Microsoft mobile devices, but it is certainly a technology that would be useful in certain areas/situations. But at the same time may also frustrate other users.
There’s little doubt that there are some exciting developments to come in the mobile device world and the integration between mobile device and PC will continue to get closer together. Microsoft have some competition for the mobile OS space, in the form of iPhone and Android, but I believe if they can deliver on the improvement plans they are talking about for Mobile 7 and the closer integration into Windows, they can take a dominant lead in the mobile OS market.
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