Microsoft's Vision of Bridging Mobile Phones, the Web and PCs Evolves

Microsoft's vision of bridging mobile phones with web-based services and computers evolves continually and the latest aspect of the company's complex strategy involves the acquisition of MobiComp. The Redmond giant is essentially trying to enhance the offerings of its Mobile Communications Business through new services aimed at mobile phone users. MobiComp's data protection and management services will, in the future, be made available to Windows Mobile devices by Microsoft, provided that the acquisition will be completed.

"People expect their phones to deliver the best experiences from PCs and the Web right to their pockets," said Todd Peters, corporate vice president in the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft. Peters added that the Redmond company would deliver new capabilities via its Windows Mobile operating system and through Windows Live, beyond what the products offer today. The big bet for Microsoft is to enable seamless connectivity for Windows Mobile users from their phones to PCs and the Internet.

Neither of the two companies wished to disclose the specific terms of the acquisition, including the financial details. Carlos Oliveira, co-founder and CEO of MobiComp only indicated that through Microsoft, mobile services such as MobileKeeper Backup & Restore, MobileKeeper Sharing & Communities, and Active mTicker will have a global reach. Through MobiComp's services, users of Windows Mobile devices will be able to have various content, from entertainment to news delivered on their phones, but also connect to online communities and social networking websites and publish materials. Last but not least, new backup and restore capabilities will be delivered to Windows Mobile phones with MobiComp's solutions.

"We're extremely pleased with this announcement, which reflects our country's leadership in innovative technology. It highlights the success of our prime minister's economic policies and serves as proof of Microsoft's commitment to the partnership signed between Portugal's government and Bill Gates two years ago. Following several top companywide awards for Microsoft Portugal, this is further evidence of our visibility in Microsoft's worldwide efforts," added Nuno Duarte, general manager of Microsoft Portugal.