MS Unveils New Windows Live Mobile Services

Microsoft announces three new Windows Live mobile services, along with Live Search for Windows Mobile.

Priyanka Tilve|Feb 12, 2007, 12:15:25 IST

Microsoft has announced three new Windows Live mobile services, for search and communications, at the 3GSM World Congress, 2007. Currently available only in the US and UK, the products are designed to provide customers with advanced local search and mapping capabilities on their mobile devices. Microsoft also introduced Windows Live for Windows Mobile, a set of Windows Live services including e-mail, instant messaging and search, uniquely designed to work with Windows Mobile powered devices.Microsoft has announced that Live Search is now available as a software client application on Windows Mobile and Java devices. These Live Search applications claim to represent the latest innovation in mobile search from Microsoft, and are aimed at providing customers with fast, easy access to local listings and maps.

New features include a category-based search, which aims to eliminate the need to type text into the phone, providing an option to map all results, so several listings appear on the same map, with aerial imagery and local traffic status in selected U.S. cities. Live Search for Windows Mobile offers additional new capabilities including satellite imagery, GPS integration and the ability to send search results to a friend.

Steve Berkowitz, senior vice president of the Online Services Group at Microsoft said, "People want to stay connected and informed wherever they are, and our aim is to deliver easy-to-use, familiar mobile services that keep people connected to the people and information they care about. Live Search for mobile and Windows Live for Windows Mobile are the latest examples of our commitment to enhancing the mobile search and services experience for our customers, and helping mobile operators, OEMs and advertising partners access new revenues and differentiate their products in this competitive mobile market."