The Danger Acquisition: All About the Services, Baby

[Kris Kumar]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/the_danger_acquisition_all_abo.html' target='_blank'>http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/t...on_all_abo.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>&quot;You know us. We can't pass up an opportunity to say &ldquo;I told you so.&rdquo; It's a weakness, really. So when Ina Fried reported on Steve Ballmer's comments during Mix '08 (the same place where Ballmer gave us Monkey Dance Redux), our beady, self-aggrandizing eyes lit up when we came to the section about the acquisition of Sidekick-maker Danger.&quot;</em></p><p><img border="1" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/500/spt/auto/1205756013.usr266.jpg" alt="" /></p><p>When Microsoft had announced the purchase of a popular mobile device manufacturer Danger, there were lots of comments from the media and the mobile industry bloggers about the justification for the purchase. Danger manufactures the popular T-Mobile Sidekick, a device that enables you manage your phone data from any Web browser. That concept and the fact that the Sidekick generates revenue by promoting services is probably what pulled Microsoft towards Danger. Check out Danger's <a href="http://www.danger.com/platform/exp.php" target="_blank">Web site</a> for more information on what they offer.</p>

[Stinger]

Do you think we'll see WinMo Sidekicks or is this the end of the line for Danger's handsets?

[stevew]

IMO we're getting closer to the end of the line for Windows Mobile.

[Rocco Augusto]

IMO we're getting closer to the end of the line for Windows Mobile.

At least in the form that we currently know and love it... hopefully :(

I don't actually think this will be the end of the Sidekick handset line. If you actually stop and think about it, as well as put on your crazy conspiracy hat, we know that Microsoft cannot create their own Windows Mobile handset due to the fact that it would enrage all their "partners" who currently build Windows Mobile hardware... but at the same time Microsoft needs to take control of the hardware if they expect to compete toe to toe with the iPhone.

So if you were Microsoft, what would you do? Well, I would purchase the hip kid frenzied competitor, Danger. Create a new hip software platform, ala Zune Phone, and market the heck out of that bad boy. This way they aren't putting Windows Mobile on the handset, which would keep their partners happy, and they take control of the hardware aspects and release something totally awesome.

Granted, once I take my crazy conspiracy hat off, it doesn't seem like something that would happen. I mean, have we ever known Microsoft to release two competing products?! That would be crazy! That would be like releasing a music store when you already have a content deal with Urge... wait, that did happen... hmmmm :p

[Kacey Green]

That's exactly what I thought is going on too!
Urge/Zune all over again but this time Winmo/Danger_buyout

[Kris Kumar]

Do you think we'll see WinMo Sidekicks or is this the end of the line for Danger's handsets?

I posted the news item in a hurry, didn't get to post all my thoughts.

I don't think Microsoft will abandon Sidekick. Not until it has a replacement. Will the replacement be WinMo device or will it be a Zune Phone or another Danger with Exchange support.

Naah, I am pretty sure they are after the business model. If you notice, our lives, well not exactly our lives but our digital life - documents, photos, emails, past, current, future is on the Internet; residing in a cloud; on some data server somewhere. It is all available at the click of a button on my PC at work and my PC at home. But when it comes to mobile device we are still limited.

The ActiveSync is great but it is limited. iPhone has iTunes. But they are all limited, they are tethered. The data is still sitting in one place, a desktop. Okay, you may argue that with Exchange Microsoft has the answer. No because Exchange is more business oriented, and not consumer based. It requires infrastructure. Sidekick doesn't need one.

Couple of months ago, a friend showed me what a Sidekick can do. Even though the applications I saw are nothing special - calendar, SMS, email, todo etc. Nothing special. WinMo offers that are more. But do we have any cohesiveness. WinMo has grown over the last five years and applications are being slapped on top of it. Each app is good, but when placed next to the other - they do not complete the puzzle. Danger thought of the eco-system first and then the applications.

Take Live for Windows Mobile. It is a good app. I feel you can hide the phone inside of that. But Microsoft has it the other way around, an app inside the phone. That is where Danger is different. Because of its approach to software design, it pulls the simple consumer in. Makes them use the phone more. So carriers can slap data charges. Wouldn't it be awesome if I can go to Live.com on my PC bookmark maps, store some search results and be able to see that on my phone. Yahoo!Go, Live Mobile all these are trying to bring a different view to the same data. I don't want a different view, I want the same one. There is a very subtle difference. Maybe I am not being clear, because I am typing too fast.

Also, it could be that the above does not make any sense. But then Microsoft has invested in a good team of people who think outside the box. WinMo team needs that.

[Kris Kumar]

\So if you were Microsoft, what would you do? Well, I would purchase the hip kid frenzied competitor, Danger. Create a new hip software platform, ala Zune Phone, and market the heck out of that bad boy.

It will be interesting to see if they can merge the Zune music store with the Sidekick online site.

[Stinger]

I don't actually think this will be the end of the Sidekick handset line. If you actually stop and think about it, as well as put on your crazy conspiracy hat, we know that Microsoft cannot create their own Windows Mobile handset due to the fact that it would enrage all their "partners" who currently build Windows Mobile hardware... but at the same time Microsoft needs to take control of the hardware if they expect to compete toe to toe with the iPhone.

They've already taken this route once with the Zune. I guess it depends on how happy they are with their hardware partners.

[Kacey Green]

If they feel the same way about their partner's ability to inovate and choose new and more capable devices (more RAM, different resolutions and screen sizes) that we do. They're probably pretty disapointed.
But most of this is Microsoft's fault for not changing the system requirments and allowing the manufacturers/carriers to dictate who gets updates and patches and how much we pay or if they will let the us pay.