14 DAY TRIAL // This week at BUILD, Microsoft is expected to unveil to the world the upcoming Windows 8 platform, and it seems that it might have very much to do with the mobile space too.
Rumor has it that the upcoming Windows Phone 8, codenamed 'Apollo', and Windows 8 platforms would actually converge to a single OS, being based on the same kernel, and representing the SKUs of the same platform.
The fact that the Windows Phone OS and the Windows client for PCs will be closely tied starting with the next releases was something that many speculated ever since last year, but it is only now that more solid details on the matter started to emerge.
Previously, rumors suggested that Windows 8 will be a platform aimed at desktop PCs and tablets, while the Windows Phone 8 platform will be targeted at smartphones, but it seems that the line between the two might be thinner than expected.
The résumé of a former Program Manager from the Windows Phone/Mobile Communications Products Group at Microsoft suggested at one point that the software giant had been working on bringing the two platforms together.
“Also drove and tracked early investigations for the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 OS convergence to create Mobile SKUs,” the said résumé reads, according to ZDNet.
Apparently, this is only thing that indicates a closer relation between the two platforms. Other developers notes working on the next flavor of Microsoft's mobile operating system say:
Owned the advanced planning relationship with Microsoft; drove Microsoft “Apollo” product planning discussion and led HTC cross-division feedback (here)
Design and development of new features for Windows Phone-8. Implemented the ‘Voice-Compose’ (STT) and the ‘Read-Aloud’ (TTS) features for native email-clients. (here)
All in all, it appears that Microsoft is indeed planning great changes for the Windows clients, both on the mobile area, as well as on the PC segment, even if the specific details are not available for the time being.