As promised before, all WM 6.x users can enjoy the portal

Nov 17, 2009 11:42 GMT  ·  By
Windows Marketplace for Mobile now available for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 handsets too
   Windows Marketplace for Mobile now available for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 handsets too

Redmond-based software company Microsoft announced a while ago that it would bring its recently launched software portal for handsets, the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, to the users of WM 6.0 and 6.1-based devices, and now that promise has been fulfilled. Following the announcements the company made last week, now the Marketplace can be accessed either from a handset that runs under one of the 6.0, 6.1, or 6.5 flavors of Windows Mobile, or from any computer.

When launched about a month ago, on October 6, the Marketplace was accessible only from mobile phones based on the 6.5 version of the mobile platform, yet now all those owning a device based on Windows Mobile 6.0 or higher can enjoy access to the storefront. Through this achievement, the portal is available for a number of around 30 million devices worldwide, Microsoft states. Users of a WM 6.0 or 6.1 handset can enjoy the Marketplace on their phone through this address: http://mp.windowsphone.com, or can go there from a computer via this link.

“The activity we’re seeing on Marketplace continues to give us confidence that we’re delivering the right value to the right market. Customers and developers alike are responding well to our focus on quality, ease of use and flexibility – both in the shopping experience and in our relationship with the developer community. We now offer over 800 applications, more than three times the number we offered when Marketplace launched just over one month ago. Additionally, over 1,000 software vendors and counting are registered to deliver great applications for work and play on Marketplace,” Microsoft's Eric Nelson states on the Windows Phone blog.

This should sound like great news for a wide range of users out there, yet it still remains to be seen how many applications the Marketplace will be able to offer to users. The market of mobile software solution has been rising fast lately, and is expected to rise even more in the future, which means that attracting developers on its side should be of great importance to Microsoft. At the same time, as the number of apps available for Windows Mobile increases, users will be more attracted to the handsets running under the platform, meaning that Microsoft will win on this area too.