Published on the 23/09/2009 | Written by Newsdesk
The forthcoming iTunes-style store will offer downloadable applications aimed at small business as well as the more usual fun consumer apps…
In trying to persuade local developers to write mobile applications for Windows Mobile-enabled phones, Microsoft’s mobile evangelist Loke Uei Tan told attendees at the recent Auckland TechEd techfest that the world is going very mobile indeed.
While this is hardly news, with the current explosion in smartphones, of which the iPhone and BlackBerry are only the most high-profile examples, the figures he quoted, from analyst Gartner, illustrate just how fast this is happening.
The other news, that Microsoft’s forthcoming iTunes-style app store, Windows Marketplace for Mobile, will provide business applications, as well as the more usual consumer ones, promises to be good news for business users.
As business increasingly goes mobile, with users wanting to work on-the-go rather than being trapped in front of a PC, the new online store’s ‘Business Centre’ is pleasing news. It will come in two parts: “Finance” and “More”. The aim is to move beyond the consumer to small business, with mobile applications for CRM, inventory and billing etc, says Tan.
The online store opens for business on 7 October, and users with will be able to browse and download applications either from Windows Mobile 6.5 devices or their PCs. A novel aspect of the store is that it will operate a 24-hour try-before-you-buy policy, with users being able to return any app they don’t like within this time.
More mobile working
The Gartner figures Tan provided were a glimpse into a future that’s almost here. Apparently, by 2010, says Gartner, 18.6 percent of all devices will be mobile PCs and 34.1 percent will be converged mobile phones – there will be 245 million of the latter beasts, to be precise.
Microsoft is actually a bit late to the game with its app store – as the media has been quick to point out – but Tan is hoping to enthuse developers to write Windows Mobile applications. To this end, he urged developers attending TechEd to get writing and gain a “first mover advantage” by having an app in the new store when it opens. Writing a little widget application should only take an hour, the buzzy senior developer told the audience.
But, what’s in it for users? Well, Tan’s preview of the Windows Mobile 6.5 phones – also slated for release in October – promises new touch capabilities; improved browsing with Flash – so users can view Flash-enabled sites – and a back-up capability for emails, texts, photos and videos called MyPhone, similar to Apple’s MobileMe.
Microsoft Mobile Marketplace launches on 6 October (7 October in New Zealand) in 21 countries. Initially, users will need a phone that runs Windows Mobile 6.5 to access the online store, but Tan says compatibility will be extended back to 6.0 and 6.1 devices over time.
