Disqus
If the majority of new products and services from wireless carriers and handset manufacturers recently seems to be an answer to something from Apple, it’s probably because it is. Sure, Apple’s iPhone, iPhone 3G, iTunes integration, and AppStore may not be directly responsible for all of the wireless industry’s recent advancements, but Cupertino’s entry in to the mobile space certainly sparked a new appreciation among manufacturers and service providers for sleek and integrated user interfaces that deliver a user experience to be desired.
Case in point, Apple’s integration of the iPhone with one of (if not the most) the most prolific and widely known music and software stores (iTunes and AppStore) has sparked a response from big-hitters Microsoft and Nokia.
Microsoft has vested interest in seeing their Zune Marketplace maintain a competitive edge in a crowded market. And Nokia could be just the handset mega-manufacturer to give Redmond the market-leverage to bring the Zune Marketplace to millions upon millions of users.
Microsoft is reportedly working closely with Nokia to integrate the Zune Marketplace in to Nokia’s dizzying lineup of mobile phones. This isn’t a Zune Phone, as has been rumored to be in the works, but a new service that will be featured on some of Nokia’s 430+ million handsets sold every year. What’s interesting is that Microsoft will have to develop a Zune Marketplace platform that is compatible with the Symbian software architecture used by Nokia. If true, Microsoft would be working to battle the iPhone and it’s iTunes integration on both the Windows Mobile and Symbian fronts.
Having missed their latest projections for Windows Mobile sales, Microsoft can use all the help they can get.
[Via: Zunescene]
About The Author
Will Park
Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...
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James Burland
