Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is doing anything and everything it can to ensure the viability of its Windows Phone 7 Series mobile OS for smartphones. We wrote a post based on a rumour that they were courting developers with money, which Microsoft neither denied nor confirmed. The company has now confirmed what we’ve all known for a long while now.

Thanks, Todd Brix

Microsoft director Todd Brix confirmed that the company was soliciting developers using a variety of means, including the aforementioned cash incentives, as well as free test hardware. The financial incentives weren’t simply limited to dolling over cash, but had a variation that included Microsoft making up the difference in cash if minimum revenue promises were not met.

And let’s be clear. We do not fault Microsoft for this. They don’t have the first mover’s advantage they once did, and they have the finances to push the platform, without having to rely on organic growth. Do it!

Look how easy it is!

Photo: Stock.Xchng

Initially, Microsoft was said to be recruiting iPhone and iOS developers for Windows Phone 7 Series, but it has also emerged that Microsoft is looking within its own stable of platforms for developers. Microsoft is reportedly selling Xbox Live Arcade and Xbox Indie Games developers on developing for Windows Phone 7 Series by punting how easily portable those games are, considering they are all developed using Microsoft’s XNA platform.

Running speed

Microsoft is finally in the home stretch of launching the long-awaited Windows Phone 7 Series. Since Microsoft had a foothold in the industry with Windows Mobile years ago, things have shaken up significantly. Google Android has emerged a viable competitor, Nokia’s smartphone dominance has slipped, RIM continues to be a strong competitor, and the iPhone is the most widely used smartphone in the world. It’s not as if these aforementioned companies are in favour of Microsoft imposing their will on a high stakes industry such as this one.

Photo: Martin Olsson / Wikimedia Commons

Though we were once led to believe Microsoft thought the future was in the cloud, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has now stated he believes that the future is in smart devices, where Microsoft is competing most prominently using Windows Phone 7 Series and Windows 7 tablets.

During the Worldwide Partner Conference, Ballmer said, ‘This year, one of the most important things that we will do in the smart device category is really push forward with Windows 7 based slates and with Windows Phone 7 phones.’

Watch this space

After slating the iPad in a veiled attack, calling it ‘the other random device that’s not currently supported by corporate IT’, Ballmer beat his chest about the incoming flood of Windows 7 tablets, saying, ‘In the course of the next several months you will see a range of Windows 7 based slates which I think you’ll find quite impressive. They will come from the people you would expect: from Asus, from Dell, from Samsung, from Toshiba, from Sony.’

Point man

Ballmer is reportedly under a lot of pressure from Microsoft’s investors and shareholders to start performing. The company’s head honcho, who is rumoured to be heading up the Entertainment & Devices division that was shaken up prior to the execution of the Microsoft Kin project, needs a pair of huge victories to stem the tide for Microsoft. The software giant runs the risk of being too reliant on its legacy businesses to be able to compete effectively.

In this respect, Windows 7 tablets need to be, at the very least, a success, and Windows Phone 7 Series needs to be an absolute home run. The embarrassment felt across Redmond over the death of Microsoft Kin is said to have damaged the whole company’s morale, and patience may be wearing thin with Ballmer’s leadership capabilities.

Photo: Microsoft

Not that we endorse inter-family violence, but Microsoft has announced that it has abandoned its Microsoft Kin One and Microsoft Kin Two social phones. The company is attributing the product culling to wanting to focus on Windows Phone 7 Series, but it appears weak sales are to blame.

Short life

A mere two months after being launched, the Microsoft Kin One and Microsoft Kin Two social phones aimed at teenagers will be discontinued. This means that the previously planned European launch for the duo of phones will no longer happen. Microsoft has announced that it is pulling the phone series because the company would rather focus on Windows Phone 7 Series, but the primary reason is believed to be soft sales. It is rumoured that, to date, Microsoft has only sold 500 units of its Kin phones.

Reason for the executive shake up?

With a corporation as large as Microsoft, in the event a major product release fails, usually someone gets blamed and, as the saying goes, heads roll. One will note that Microsoft Kin One and Microsoft Kin Two both belong to the Entertainment & Devices division previously headed up by Robbie Bach and evangelised by J. Allard. They have both left the company during this period, rekindling the rumours that they were let go, as opposed to leaving of their own accord.

Good idea

Microsoft’s decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 Series is a wise move on the Redmond Giant’s part, regardless of the cause. Not only are they displaying the kind of focus often called for from others, they’re displaying they haven’t underestimated the enormity of the task ahead of them. Once Windows Phone 7 is released, it will be going toe to toe with the iPhone 4 – a device selling as fast as they make them – and the Google Android lineup. Add to that the newfound energy – and financial power – Palm has with HP backing it, Windows Phone 7 Series isn’t taking a stroll in the park, and (next of) Kin would just be a distraction.

Photo: Microsoft

As we get closer to the release of Windows Phone 7 Series this October, Microsoft’s slow burn breadcrumb marketing campaign is gathering steam. The latest announcement the company has made is that there will be a huge focus on porting Xbox Live Arcade games over to their incoming mobile OS.

We sort of knew about this

Microsoft earlier this year showed off a remarkable demo of the same game being played on a PC, an Xbox 360, and a Windows Phone 7 smartphone. The impressive part of it all was that the game had 90 per cent identical code, which implies the porting would be quite simple.

XNA framework the enabler

This is possible because Microsoft’s XNA framework is responsible for powering the gaming behind both Xbox Live Arcade and Microsoft’s new mobile OS. Head of Consumer Marketing for Windows Phone 7, Oded Ran, admitted Microsoft are deliberately courting developers in their hopes of having Phone 7 be a premiere gaming platform. He pointed out that there were 4 million Xbox 360s compared to 2.5 million iPhones in the UK, somehow implying the console ubiquity (and installed developer based) will allow Microsoft to transfer the talent pool to Windows Phone 7 Series development by leveraging the XNA framework.

What do you make of this?

Photo: Microsoft

Oded Ran did add that this initiative was aimed specifically at Xbox Live Arcade games and not bigger releases like the Halo 3 titles of the world.

As the months count down toward the imminent release of the Windows Phone 7 Series, one can’t help but be curious how it’s all going to pan out. Many in technology have already ruled out Microsoft’s potential to win big, but if the quality of Xbox Live Arcade games is anything to go by, the console will immediately have an ace up its sleeve. Furthermore, Microsoft’s recent fortunes (and critical appraisal) with its Xbox 360 console, Windows 7, and Office 2010 indicates people really shouldn’t rule Microsoft out just yet.

Photo: Android

As the title indicates, this story has so many dimensions to it, it would be irresponsible not to look at each implication of this piece of news in itself.

Catch up

Firstly, this move comes as a result of Google pulling out of China over quasi-political quasi-business reasons, and Motorola’s decision to search for alternate partners. But to snub Google for Microsoft almost feels disrespectful. On top of that, this search and maps deal would bring Microsoft Bing and maps to Android OS, a Google platform.

Motorola says: we have sway

The other dimension with regards to this switch is what this means for Motorola’s relationship with Google’s Android when compared to Motorola’s relationship with the Windows Phone 7 Series. Sure, The Motorola Milestone (Droid) is a beloved Android phone used by many and the first to show the gulf between the iPhone and Android OS was exaggerated. To lose a partner like that would be costly to Google.

Google says: fine, whatever

Photo: Google

It is unlikely this would be enough to change Google’s stance on China. The company who brandish ‘Don’t be evil’ as a corporate moniker for reasons often questioned are unlikely to let this switch their policy with another country, even though the advances Microsoft Bing has been making have to be in the back of Google’s mind.

Microsoft says: we like this!

Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is the only winner here. Not only is Microsoft woefully handicapped by not being the default search engine on any of the popular contemporary mobile phone operating systems, this may be the avenue the company needs to woo Motorola into committing to Windows Phone 7 Series more than Motorola’s present commitment to Android OS. Insofar as they get the foothold, even if it is out in China, Microsoft has enough of a launchpad to extend their influence.

The phones powered by Microsoft Bing search and maps will begin seeing release this quarter, and the relationship has openly been discussed as ‘global’, meaning this could just be the very beginning.