Windows Mobile 5.0, alias Windows 2005, comes in a moment which is decisive for Microsoft's role on the market of cell phones. Although the operating system for cell phones is only a small fraction of Microsoft, compared to Palm OS and Blackberry the Redmond giant has the best chances of defeating Symbian.

Microsoft has succeeded with Windows Mobile 5.0 to propose producers an operating system that combines productivity (Word Mobile, Excel Mobile and a Powerpoint version which allows the modification and not only the viewing of documents created on PCs) with multimedia functions (Windows Media Player).

Moreover, Windows Mobile 5.0 is flexible enough to allow producers to innovate hardware equipments, and that's exactly what the market demands right now.

The fact that Windows Mobile 5.0 includes now hard disk support will allow the creation of a new generation of mobile terminals (PDAs or smartphones) which can prove to be worthy opponents not only to Apple, but to all producers of mobile equipments designed for entertainment.

If for PDAs (whose faith is still uncertain) Windows Mobile 5.0 will help Microsoft to maintain the leading position, for smartphones the battle has just begun.

Symbian owns between 60 and 70 percent of the market, while Microsoft, although on second place, is still at 23%. From now on, the success of Windows Mobile 5.0 is in the producer's hands which will decide if this operating system is the one they need.

In any case, Windows Mobile 5.0 is an important step in the battle with Symbian.