It seems that Microsoft is moving towards the final stages in the development of the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system. From what we’ve heard, the Redmond company has recently made the platform available for its employees, announcing the latest Beta program.

According to the news, those who will enter the aforementioned program will be able to take a glimpse at all the features that the Windows Mobile 6.5 has to offer. The fact that this stage has been reached could only suggest that it will not be long before we will hear that the platform is Released To Manufacturing (RTM).

At the same time, if the platform does go to mobile phone makers in the near future, it means that Microsoft's statements that the first handsets running under the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system are slated for launch in the third quarter of the ongoing year will prove true after all.

Rumors about the new services, features and applications that will come with the platform have been floating around for quite some time now. In addition, it is also certainly known that Microsoft has included in the OS some of its recently announced services, as well as support for the upcoming app store that the company is working on putting in place.

For what it's worth, the new platform will deliver a lot of improvements compared to already existing ones, yet it is still uncertain to what extent it will be able to prove itself a powerful competitor to other smartphone platforms available on the market. It won't be long before we'll be able to see what Windows Mobile 6.5 is capable of providing users with, but we'll most probably be waiting with a lot more interest the release of the company's next-generation mobile OS, WinMo 7, due out next year.