And enhanced versions of Word and Excel, too. Your next PDA or cellular phone will be powered by Windows Mobile.
Like so many other fields where the Redmond-based technology giant enters, once it has time to develop and release a few versions of a product, they dominate the field.
With apologies to PalmOne and to Symbian, Windows Mobile 5.0 becomes the desired platform on portable devices and especially cellphones. Collaboration will be the reason why.
The Microsoft Office suite runs in a lot of businesses, particularly in the Fortune 500. Users have a comfort level with applications like Word, Excel, and Outlook. PowerPoint may even represent a greater level of ease of use.
Now, for companies who want to bring that experience forward, and get more productivity out of employees, Windows Mobile 5.0 makes sense. The applications on the mobile platform look like those on the PC platform. Much of the functionality of the desktop can be found on the mobile.
Wider Adoption
The goal, of course, will be to have a company purchase a Windows Mobile platform, like the Dell Axim, in quantity. The company would do this for a select group at first, probably its executives.
A simple synchronization with the desktop later, and the VP of Marketing has his presentation and his spreadsheets loaded for travel. The familiar look and feel makes for a better user experience. And not having to tote a laptop everywhere has its appeal.
Databases reign as the true powerhouses in applications. Microsoft has created a mobile edition of SQL Server. Visual Studio coders can write applications for that database, and include functions unique to the platform, such as the ability to select an item on a cellphone and place a call to the entry’s related phone number.
And with the interconnectivity of Microsoft’s APIs, a phone call can translate to a reminder entry in Outlook for a client follow-up. The whole strategy leads to Microsoft’s ability to keep users loyal to the software company, its applications, and most importantly, ongoing periodic upgrades and subsequent boosts to its revenue stream.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
