Gates Launches MSN Mobile 2.0

Bill Gates announced deals with Nextel and Airtouch Cellular to offer MSN Mobile 2.0 today at CTIA Wireless 2000. Demonstrating the use of MSN Mobile on a WAP enabled cellular phone, as well as a Pocket PC, Gates stated "Individuals should be able to receive the information they want, when they want it and where they want it, without the sender having to be concerned about the communication devices involved."

Compatible with a wide range of devices including WAP enabled cellular phones, Pocket PCs, and Palm computers, MSN Mobile users will have access to online services such as Microsoft Expedia, Hotmail, MSNBC.com news, and MSN MoneyCentral. Users will be able to set priorities, receive reminders, and set different types of notifications on their wireless devices using MSN Mobile.

Gates also announced plans to form a strategic partnership with Qualcom to concentrate on the development of more advanced and multimedia capable wireless devices, concentrating on a smart phone hardware reference to promote its standard to wireless device developers around the world.

Gates told the press that "Ultimately, communication is person-to-person and not device-to-device," and the challenge today is to bring the user, the data, and the Internet together in an intelligent and manageable way.