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Microsoft starts shutting down Windows Mobile services

By: , IntoMobile
Friday, June 10th, 2011 at 3:03 PM

As Microsoft goes ahead all guns blazing with their new Windows Phone platform, they’re starting to tear down the old Windows Mobile services. The web-based Marketplace will be put out of commission on July 15, leaving only the on-device app store functional. The My Phone back-up and sync service will be cut off on August 7, though contacts, calendar items, texts and photos will be migrated to SkyDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service. You’re on your own for music, video, documents, and favourites, but you can always request that Microsoft ship you a CD with everything on it up until October 5 2012.

Windows Phone and the upcoming Mango update is offering a ton of services, including its own web-based app Marketplace, SkyDrive cloud storage, but it doesn’t look like My Phone is returning for the sequel since it’s probably folded into SkyDrive. In any case, analysts are feeling optimistic about the future of Windows Phone; Microsoft is already well-entrenched in the home thanks to Windows on desktop and Xbox for the TV, plus they’re roping in a bunch of smartphone manufacturers to support WP7. Microsoft is also well-poised for tablets this year through Windows 8.

If you want more info on what’s going on with MyPhone for Windows Mobile 6.X, hit up Microsoft’s KB article.

[via PhoneScoop]

About The Author

Simon Sage

Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.