Microsoft Smart Phone Platform

Fact Sheet

September 2000

Mobile devices are personal tools. Some people are more voice-centric and comfortable with a phone. Other people want the data-centric options available with a personal digital assistant (PDA). And still others want one device that can do it all: one small enough to carry with them everywhere, but big enough to meet their data needs.

Bigger than a feature phone, smaller than a Pocket PC, a smart phone offers both voice and rich wireless data capabilities in one device. The smart phone further extends the value of a mobile phone by first being a great phone, and also providing a mix of online and offline applications to keep customers connected to their important, time-critical information — any time, any place.

Over the past two years, Microsoft Corp. has been working on a smart phone development project, currently code-named “Stinger.” The company plans to combine the best of the PDA and the best of the phone to create a platform to keep people intelligently connected — whether by voice, e-mail or other means — any time, anywhere. The Microsoft® smart phone platform will offer users always-up-to-date personal information and e-mail as well as robust Web-browsing capabilities. The platform will include a Web browser that supports HTML, WAP (WML) and XML formats.

Key Goals for “Stinger”

• Be a great phone
• Offer remote control for communications management
• Be up and running in five minutes without support
• Offer over-the-air device management
• Offer personal information management (PIM) and mail synchronization

The Microsoft smart phone platform is one part of Microsoft’s end-to-end wireless solution, which includes client software, back-end servers and end-user services. On its own, the Microsoft smart phone platform will be the best in class in delivering the applications end users want and the performance they expect in a great smart phone. When coupled with Microsoft back-end servers and services, the Microsoft smart phone platform will be a critical component that allows network operators and corporate customers to realize the power of mobile services and Internet access. And because the Microsoft smart phone platform will be just that — a true platform — third parties will be able to utilize Microsoft tools and familiar development environments to deliver innovative products and services.

Products using the Microsoft smart phone platform are expected to be available from hardware partners in 2001. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is the first handset manufacturer that has committed to design a range of phones for both global system for mobile communications (GSM) and code division multiple access (CDMA) networks using the Microsoft Mobile Explorer™ wireless communication platform for feature phones and the Microsoft smart phone platform. For the smart phone platform, Microsoft is using a version of Windows® CE 3.0 operating system technologies specifically optimized for mobile phones to extend battery life, reduce memory requirements and deliver real-time processing.

Microsoft in the Phone Space

Besides developing a platform for smart phones, Microsoft is delivering software for feature phones — defined as a browser-based experience of network-centric services with no local store or applications — its Mobile Explorer product.

Outside of its own development efforts, Microsoft is actively defining and driving mobile products for third-generation wireless networks. Microsoft is a member of the nine-member Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) Promoter Group, as well as the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) Forum and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Solutions powered by the advanced software capability of the Microsoft smart phone platform are expected to reach their full potential when the third-generation broadband networks are realized.

#########

The information contained in this document relates to a prerelease software product that may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect the software product when first commercially released. This document is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to this document or the information contained in it.

Microsoft, Mobile Explorer and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.