14 DAY TRIAL // Symbian, one of the main OS developers for mobile phones and direct Microsoft competitor, signed a partnership with the software giant acquiring licenses for several of its solutions.
London-based Symbian announced that they will develop software providing compatibility between Symbian phones and Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, including the calendar and other personal information managers provided by Microsoft, all of them becoming available to Symbian users.
Both companies claim that the partnership is designed to assist corporate users and to boost the use range of uses for the Symbian-powered phones. Such smartphones include text editing capabilities and other advanced applications.
The agreement between the two mobile software market players is also a sign that the struggle for supremacy in the operating system and smartphone applications area might cool down.
Out of all mobile phones currently active, estimated by the latest statistics around 1.2 billion units, the smartphone percentage is low. The balance is however expected to shift in favor of smartphones in the next couple of years, as smartphones are expected to gradually replace PDA-s and even low-end notebooks.
Symbian currently dominates the mobile software market, mainly because of the partnership with worldwide leader mobile manufacturer Nokia. Microsoft failed to associate with other leading mobile phone manufacturers, which is why they settle as the second best cell phone software developer.
The Symbian / Microsoft partnership might become the first step performed by Bill Gates' company towards the Finnish manufacturer, quite reluctant to the bids of an outsider in the cell industry, as Microsoft is considered to be.
RESOURCES