Microsoft Unveils New Mobile Platform

At the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France, Microsoft joined with mobile phone manufacturer Flextronics in announcing a new low-cost platform for cell phones called "Peabody." Peabody is based upon Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform and offers over 18,000 applications for music, video, pictures, and gaming.

OEMs will be able to tailor the Peabody devices to their needs, and deliver feature-rich phones to consumers without charging high-end prices that normally accompany Windows Mobile devices.

"Flextronics is providing OEMs with a cost-effective way to quickly expand their product lines and respond to market demands," said Tom Deitrich, Flextronics vice president. "Flextronics designed the Peabody platform based on Windows Mobile software, which delivers the substantial functionality required by OEMs while providing the flexibility for quick customization."

"Our joint strengths allow us to deliver innovative and customizable device solutions based on the Windows Mobile platform that can be deployed quickly at competitive price points," said Suzan DelBene, corporate vice president of the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft.

In addition to Peabody, Flextronics also plans to develop a line of mobile phones for GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks that will utilize Windows Mobile software.