14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is known to plan the release of not one, but three mobile services sporting a MobileMe-like functionality, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona next month.
Apple's MobileMe automatically pushes new email, contacts, and calendar events to your Mac, PC, iPhone and iPod touch, and other mobile devices. The software was designed by Apple to make sure all your information stays up-to-date, everywhere. MobileMe also provides support for push email, calendar, and contacts on your iPhone and any computer.
The changes you make on one device are automatically “pushed” to the MobileMe “cloud,” then back to every device you use. In the same manner, Microsoft's new software moves users' mobile data into the cloud.
Neowin is reporting that October saw Microsoft announcing the Windows Azure platform at its professional developers conference, aiming to expand its offerings comprised of software + services. Sources close to Microsoft claim that the company is actively working on products codenamed SkyBox, SkyLine, and SkyMarket. Microsoft is expected to advertise them under the Windows Live branding.
Much like Apple's MobileMe, “SkyBox” is said to enable users to sync phone information with the web, while Microsoft will be offering automatic backup and restore services. Additionally, phone data may be accessed and managed from the SkyBox interface. Contact syncing, email/SMS, calendar items and pictures will also make the focus of the service that will send all this information to a Microsoft-owned cloud. However, unlike Apple's service, SkyBox may also work on devices running other software than Windows Mobile, the source suggests.
In the same context, “SkyLine” will be aimed at small businesses, boasting “similar functionality to SkyBox,” focusing on Microsoft Exchange hosting. Lastly, “SkyMarket,” which MS spilled the beans over last year, is allegedly the codename for Microsoft's mobile marketplace, a translation of Apple's own App Store. This service will be exclusive to Windows Mobile users, according to the rumor. Thousands of apps are expected to make their debut along with the launch of the service.
Apple's venue currently holds 15K+ apps and games, while the downloads have cumulated to half a billion, according to the latest statistics by Apple.