14 DAY TRIAL // It's a common fact that Microsoft is set to include far more services than before for mobile phones as soon as the next-generation Windows Mobile 7 is launched on the market, and some of these services have been already rumored one way or the other, such as Zune or Xbox live, yet the question of how the company will make the integration still remains. Some suggested that we'll see Zune phones launched on the market, some speak of phone-oriented services, and it seems that the answer might actually be somewhere in between.
According to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, since Microsoft is working with codenames a lot and they can unveil some details on the company's plans, one place to look at when it comes to the connection between Windows Mobile 7 and Zune is in one such codename, namely Dorado. Zune HD users should already be familiar with it, as it “is the back end hub for Zune players” and, since Microsoft is set to offer phone makers the possibility to include Zune capabilities in their handsets, some speculations in the area also emerged.
Here's what she states in a recent article: “Dorado, the Zune app, is the equivalent to iTunes with Windows Mobile 7,” said one Microsoft-savvy source of mine who requested anonymity. It will let you “sync content, buy content, update the device.” And as the differences between dedicated MP3 players and cell phones continue to diminish, it’s not much of a stretch for the Dorado app to be able to act as the back end for phones, too, the source said.
However, things might be a little more complicated than this in the end. The codename for two previously rumored Pink Phones, Pure and Turtle, have been recently spotted in a recent software update for Zune, which means that Microsoft is moving towards enabling the service on handsets, yet the manner in which this would be made is still unknown. The integration of Zune in Windows Mobile might end up in having the Zune player on mobile phones too, there are also speculations that Zune might replace the Windows Media Player, and some talk about the Zune Marketplace as the exclusive marketplace for particular phones. In the end, there are quite a few directions Microsoft might follow, and we should learn in the not too distant future which one appeals the most to the company.