Windows Mobile is new brand for Pocket PC OS

REDMOND, Washington -- Microsoft Windows Mobile is the new global brand for Microsoft software for mobile devices such as Pocket PCs and Smartphones. The launch of Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs kicks off the new Windows Mobile brand, which Microsoft is marketing as extending Windows to the full range of mobile devices.

The company said the new Windows Mobile brand helps customers more readily understand and identify the software inside Pocket PCs and Smartphones and the consistent experience they can expect. The brand also reflects Microsoft's commitment to the mobile space in bringing its software for mobile devices into the Windows brand family.

"Our customers told us that they value the presence of Windows in mobile devices -- both as a highly recognized brand and as a highly familiar user experience," said Pieter Knook, corporate vice president for mobile and embedded devices and network service providers at Microsoft. "We heard that Windows is a brand customers associate with powerful and familiar software, and the new Windows Mobile brand is one that will help manufacturers and mobile operators differentiate Windows Mobile-based devices from others in the industry."

Microsoft said Windows Mobile offers the following benefits to both customers and the mobile industry:

• A familiar experience. Customers associate the brand with a familiar and trusted Windows experience and the ability to connect with their most important information while on the go.
• An all-in-one device. Microsoft designed Windows Mobile to help simplify life through powerful software on a variety of devices designed to meet individual needs.
• Staying in touch. With Windows Mobile, customers can communicate through powerful and familiar applications.
• Personal productivity. Customers can do more of what matters to them, using Pocket versions of Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and more.
• On-the-go synchronization. Windows Mobile gives customers the power to be up-to-date with necessary information, at their desk or on the move.

"For the past 12 months, Microsoft and the Kellogg School of Management have worked together to determine the position of 'mobile devices' in relation to the Windows family of products," said Mohanbir Sawhney, a professor at the Kellogg School of Management. "Increasingly, customers expect their mobile devices to seamlessly exchange data and share features with the desktop devices and applications they are familiar with."

Sawhney added that customers "also expect their mobile devices to do more than simple voice or data functions. Customers associate the Windows brand with synchronization and compatibility with a wide range of devices and applications. With the new Windows Mobile brand, customers are assured that they can get the compatibility, the power and the familiarity of Windows on their mobile handset or phone."

Device naming

Microsoft said that as the boundaries between mobile devices continue to blur, Windows Mobile simplifies device naming and offers the flexibility to better articulate hardware and software evolution. Microsoft will continue to use Pocket PC and Smartphone to describe categories, but Windows Mobile will describe the software running on the devices. For example, "Pocket PC software" becomes "Windows Mobile software for Pocket PCs," and "Smartphone software" becomes "Windows Mobile software for Smartphones." Microsoft's software for personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smart phones becomes simply Windows Mobile.

Developers targeting the Windows Mobile platform will benefit from a new Designed for Windows Mobile logo. Upon certification, the logo will signify compatibility between third-party products and the PDAs and cell phones that are powered by Windows Mobile software.