In an odd turn of events, Microsoft has announced that AT&T will play a big part in its Windows Phone 7 rollout. During the World Mobile Congress, David Christopher, Chief Marketing Officer for AT&T, unveiled the plans that AT&T has in store for Windows Phone 7 and calls Microsoft a Valued Partner.
Along with Orange, AT&T will start the effort to bring Windows Phone 7 phones to the market. A Microsoft spokesperson said, In fact, Microsoft is working with 20 partners globally to bring Windows Phone 7 Series phones to market. With AT&T and Orange, they are investing together to bring the full Windows Phone 7 Series experience to the market across a range of phones. Odds are, AT&T will have the first line-up of Windows Phone 7 smart phones, followed by other carriers soon thereafter.
Microsofts newest mobile operating system, Windows Phone 7, is expected to dazzle previous Windows Mobile users. A new architecture, a new user interface and new functionality is what awaits us. Much like the Zune HDs user interface, the Windows Phone 7 UI is built on a framework called Iris. While no-one is sure what exactly the Zunes UI is built off of, its strikingly similar.
In a time where Microsoft becomes the underdog, its interesting to hear a carrier step up to the plate first. While AT&T does offer the iPhone exclusively, perhaps Microsoft has a plan, such as offering Windows Phone 7 devices at a subsidized price. While possibly taking a good marketshare from the iPhone on AT&T, Microsoft will also be moving to other carriers. Opening waterways to a vast consumer-base.
The best move on Microsofts part? Not exclusively sticking to AT&T. AT&T is at the bottom of the food-chain when it comes to 3G, 4G, and Customer service. By giving Windows Mobile a new brand and infrastructure really creates the new experience.
On AT&Ts part, I sure hope they are ready to support a second major smartphone platform. Two power-user platforms means more bandwidth. The iPhone has already proven to cripple AT&Ts network in some areas, bringing on a new platform with similar capabilities almost seems like suicide. AT&T doesnt yet offer Android-based phones, originally thought to be because of the strain its network already faces from the iPhone.
Via: CRN | WithinWindows