Microsoft to buy mobile software company MobiComp

The game of mergers and acquisitions is on for sure. After Nokia’s successful acquisition of Symbian, it’s now Microsoft’s turn to get into the act. Microsoft announced a few days back that it will buy MobiComp, a Portugal based mobile software maker.

MobiComp is particularly known for its apps related to data protection and sharing. MobileKeeper Backup & Restore, an app which stores and backs up mobile data, and MobileKeeper Sharing & Communities, an app which connects the mobile phone with social networking communities on the web, are the two most important apps that Microsoft is said to be interested in integrating into its Windows Live Mobile.

Microsoft has not disclosed the cost of this acquisition and the terms of the deal.

I think this acquisition will do loads of good to Microsoft and will serve as a morale booster. Apple made news with 3G iPhone, Google is almost always in the news with Android, Yahoo is going great guns, and now Nokia has made headlines all over the world by buying Symbian. Microsoft needed something to get back into the limelight as far as the mobile market is concerned and it has come in the form of this acquisition. The competition, my friends, is only going to get more intense.

Categories: Microsoft.

0 comments.

Microsoft talks about Windows Mobile and Zune Phone

With Google gearing up to release Android, Apple gearing up to release its next-gen iPhone, people looked at Microsoft to come up with something new. There were rumors going on that Microsoft was actually planning to release a Zune phone which will be in the league of the iPhone and Blackberry. However, in a recent interview, Robbie Bach, the man behind Xbox, Zune, and Windows Live Mobile, has rubbished these rumors and has made Microsoft’s stand very clear.

Robbie said that Microsoft is not interested in developing an iPhone clone or a Blackberry clone. Instead, the company will focus on making Windows Live Mobile much better than what it is right now.

He also went on to say that people no longer look at their mobile phone as a mere tool for communication. People want to check emails, listen to music, surf the internet, send and receive photos, and watch videos on their mobile phone. So, Microsoft will work on making Windows Live Mobile capable of catering to a wide range of needs of mobile users.

On answering a question on mobile advertising, Robbie mentioned that while mobile phone advertising is certainly the way forward, it will be different from online advertising as it will be more personal.

I personally don’t want to see Microsoft coming up with a smart phone or whatever. We already have enough choices when it comes to mobile phones. What we need is a mobile platform which can take our mobile phone experience to the next level. That’s the reason why I’m excited about Google Android, Apple’s next-gen iPhone, and the improved Windows Live Mobile.

Don’t you think it’s easy to choose a platform which offers you everything you would probably want on a mobile phone than to choose a different, ‘latest model’ mobile phone every other month?

Categories: All things mobile phones, Microsoft.

0 comments.

Microsoft says yes to banner ads in mobile phones

Microsoft has announced that it will allow advertisers to serve mobile users with banner ads from now on. Advertisers will now be able to display banner ads to mobile users using Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Hotmail. However, this is restricted only to the users in the U.S., France, Spain, and the U.K.

By doing this, Microsoft has joined the list of companies like Google, AdMob, Yahoo, and Third Screen which serve banner ads to mobile users.

Microsoft also hinted that it might soon introduce keyword advertising service in Windows Live Search Mobile. Though the beta version is available in the U.S. now, Microsoft believes that there is still room for improvement and it might hit the market only later this year. Microsoft is also working on expanding its presence in mobile market and has made Live Search Mobile available in 49 markets.

It’s good to see that Microsoft has put the Yahoo fiasco behind and working to improve its position in the mobile market. However, with Yahoo going great guns and Google looking to leave no stone unturned for Android, it better be watchful.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Microsoft, Mobile Web.

0 comments.

An unhappy Yahoo, unsatisfied Microsoft, and a happy Google

Finally, after weeks and weeks of chaos and confusion, it’s been officially announced that Microsoft – Yahoo deal is not going to happen. Microsoft is fuming at a lost opportunity and Yahoo is having a hard time convincing its shareholders. In the midst of all this, one company is beaming. It goes by the name Google.

If you remember, a lot of bloggers, including yours truly, had predicted what could happen to Google’s dominance if the much hyped Microsoft-Yahoo deal were to materialize. It didn’t happen and now I have my foot firmly in my mouth.

Now, let’s take a look at the situation of all three entities involved – Yahoo, Microsoft, and Google.

Yahoo is perhaps the worst sufferer right now. While Jerry Yang was never interested in Microsoft’s offer, Yahoo’s stockholders thought otherwise. They wanted the deal to go through and salvage the stock price of Yahoo. It didn’t happen and you can already see the effect in its tumbling stock prices.

Microsoft is actually wondering what went wrong with their offer. They offered what was considered a very good price per stock and when Yahoo was not interested, they even raised their offer. But then, Yahoo was not convinced. Microsoft wanted this deal to go through more than anything else, as it would help them grab a significant share of the search engine market. Now, Microsoft has to settle for companies like AOL to form strategic alliances with.

Google is the real winner now, as it’s always been. First, it outbid Microsoft and acquired DoubleClick Inc. Then, it got the FCC to make it mandatory for the winner to open its network to all devices. And now, it has got its biggest competitors Yahoo and Microsoft exactly where it wants. Google is about to get into an ad-partnership with Yahoo wherein it can place its ads in Yahoo’s search engine while Microsoft is left in the lurch.

At the end of the day, Google’s number one position in online search market is safe and now it can continue to concentrate on its new venture of mobile advertising. Initially, Yahoo was going great guns in the mobile world with lots of partnerships and deals that even Google was slightly threatened about its place in the mobile world. Now, Yahoo has lots of business to take care of in its own backyard, Microsoft is not in a position to dominate either the online search or the mobile market, and Google can dutifully work on its Android platform and make it big in the mobile market too.

Given the current position of Yahoo and Microsoft, I don’t think they would be able to challenge Google either in the online search market or in the mobile search and advertising market. In other words, Google’s dominance will continue and there is not a thing Jerry Yang or Steve Ballmer can do about it.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, Google, All things mobile phones, Yahoo, Microsoft.

0 comments.

News Corp to join Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo?

Remember Microsoft’s multi billion dollar bid for Yahoo? The move made headlines all over the world and things got slowed down when Yahoo announced that it is not interested in the offer unless Microsoft raises its bid. Now, the story has taken a new turn. According to sources, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation might join hands with Microsoft in its bid.

If Rupert Murdoch could pull it off, it would be a terrific union. Just imagine – Microsoft, MySpace (which belongs to News Corp.), and Yahoo on the same side. That would be one hell of a force to be reckoned with.

I think such a union is very much possible. Yahoo’s main reason for ignoring Microsoft’s offer is that it feels that the offer is too low to be accepted. With a powerful company like News Corporation on its side, Microsoft will be able to raise its bid considerably and thus Yahoo might be tempted to accept the offer. If it does happen, it will put Google under tremendous pressure and its number one spot in the internet might be under threat. Moreover, such a union could also have a significant impact on the mobile web space, as all three – Microsoft, Yahoo, and MySpace – are somehow interested in the mobile web space.

Nothing has been decided so far and it will take quite some time for the concerned parties to arrive at a mutually agreeable decision. I’ll keep a close eye on this issue and will keep you guys posted. Meanwhile, feel free to tell me what you feel about this possible alliance.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Yahoo, Microsoft.

0 comments.