Wider reach

Calcutta, Aug. 26: Microsoft’s Windows Mobile segment has reported a growth of 400 per cent year-on-year in the country. The service, which was launched in India last year, is expected to be available in more than two lakh handsets by the end of 2007.

Windows Mobile has five partners — HP, iMate, O2, HTC/Dopod and Motorola Q — who make the messaging and mailing option available on their handsets.

“We took our time to enter the Indian market as we wanted it to mature to the level of smartphones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). As sales of such phones are on the rise, email and other applications such as MS Office become a necessity. The service is available in 30 models. We will soon sign on new partners, some of whom will be coming to India for the first time,” said Sumeet Gugnani, business head (India), mobility and embedded devices, Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt Ltd.

According to IDC India’s quarterly report, Windows Mobile has a market share of 30.5 per cent within a year and a half of its launch, while Blackberry has 19.1 per cent. The market leader, however, is Symbian OS, which is the platform used by mobile manufacturers such as Nokia.

“The price of handsets or PDAs which have Windows Mobile now start from Rs 11,000. Earlier, it used to be from Rs 40,000. This will fuel growth as more people get used to mailing and working on documents on their phones,” Gugnani added.

The smartphone market added over 3 million users last year and is expected to grow 80 per cent this year, according to the IDC report.

An advantage with Windows Mobile is the familiarity of the operating system with the mobile. Customers use the system on their laptops or desktops with various applications such as MS Word and MS Office.