Microsoft Aims To Double Windows Mobile Phones Sold In 2006 To 12 Million

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2035159,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594">http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2035159,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594</a><br /><br /><i>"Microsoft aims to double the number of mobile phones running its Windows software this year from 6 million at the end of 2005 and to keep up this rate of growth in coming years, a Microsoft executive said."</i><br /><br />Folks, that averages 1,000,000 phones devices per month! The question is, can they sustain this rate, which they say they are aiming for, in the face of competition from Nokia and RIM? And if the rates are this high, can someone please explain why Microsoft has chosen to drop support for Microsoft Money and Pocket Streets? Sure, they were money losers in the early years as was the entire Windows Mobile/Pocket PC venture, but if only 1% of your users are buying products based on Money/Streets support, or outright paying for the Windows Mobile versions, isn't 120,000 a good user base? Maybe not, or maybe the percentage was .01% or worse.

[Tierran]

Streets maybe...but the value added from MS Money was non-existant. It was such an underpowered peice of software they may actually be better off without it.

[virain]

Yes, I am missing MS Money for Pocket PC. But then again, Microsoft never made it work propertly. Last version, 2006 could not be sync with WindowsXP version of this software.
And as far, as to sell so many WM, they should help new players in the market of Pocket PC and smartphones to be able to compete with companies like HTC, HP, Motorola. You can see many interesting and attractive devices being introduced, but they never hit Mobile phone markets, More likely, because companies who developing them don't have strong marketing hand.