Samsung-Symbian deal is a blow to Microsoft

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Peter Kingsland <peter.kingsland () bwcs com>
Organization: BWCS Ltd
Reply-To: Peter Kingsland <peter.kingsland () bwcs com>
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 12:11:46 +0000
To: dave () farber net
Subject: RE: Samsung-Symbian deal is a blow to Microsoft

Dave

We covered this one on Monday...

Good News, Bad News For Microsoft
(17/02/2003, BWCS staff) Microsoft has succeeded in winning a fourth mobile
operator customer for its wireless software platform, but its key vendor
partner, Samsung, has invested in Symbian's rival technology. Germany's
T-Mobile has agreed to buy Microsoft handsets manufactured by its Taiwanese
contractor High Tech. The operator will begin offering the new devices to
its subscribers during the second quarter of 2003. The multimedia handsets
are expected to be similar in design to Orange's SPV Microsoft device.

Since its launch in December last year, Orange has sold around 40,000 SPVs
but the handset is being outsold by nearly 10-to-1 by devices supporting
Vodafone's Live! multimedia platform. Other mobile operators currently
offering Microsoft handsets include AT&T Wireless and the Filipino service
provider Smart.

Microsoft's success with mobile operators is in sharp contrast to its
failure to win the support of the major mobile vendors. The Korean
manufacturer Samsung, which has become a rising star in the handset sector,
has been the only top vendor to adopt Microsoft's mobile software. However,
according to Reuters, Samsung has now paid US$27 million for a 5% stake in
Microsoft's main rival Symbian. The deal marks a major coup for Symbian as
it means it now has the backing of the five largest mobile vendors in the
world. For Microsoft the investment will undermine market confidence in its
ability to really take on the big boys in the mobile sector.

http://www.bwcs.com/marketing/index2.html

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