Microsoft says Win Mobile will increase by 50%

Microsoft anticipates tremendous growth for the Windows Mobile operating system.

An official from Microsoft stated that with the increasing demand for smartphones, the Windows Mobile operating system will grow by at least 50% next year.

Eddie Wu, Microsoft's Manager of the OEM Embedded Devices Division in Asia, indicated that they expect to sell 20 million units of Windows Mobile by the end of the 2007-2008 fiscal year. In the next two years, Windows Mobile sales are expected to grow by at least 50% annually. During the 2006-2007 fiscal year, Microsoft sold 11 million units of Windows Mobile.

Wu said that Microsoft expects rapid growth in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Brazil, Russia, and India regions. Additionally, demand in Europe and the United States remains strong.

Currently, Motorola, Samsung, HTC, and Sony Ericsson have all launched Windows Mobile smartphones.

Currently, smartphones are becoming more widespread. According to statistics from the NPD Group, in the first quarter of 2008, 17% of the phones sold in the U.S. were smartphones, an increase of 10% compared to the same period last year. In the U.S., the sales of regular phones are declining.

At the beginning of this year, Microsoft launched Windows Mobile 6.1, which features an upgraded browser and support for Adobe Systems' Flash.

Currently, Windows Mobile 6.1 has been provided to phone manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and Pantech. AT&T, Sprint Nextel, and Alltel have also announced plans to offer software upgrades.

Despite the anticipated growth, Microsoft still faces intense competition. As competition intensifies, it becomes increasingly challenging for Microsoft to expand its market share. There are rumors that Apple will launch a 3G version of the iPhone within weeks. To attract business users, Apple has upgraded its mobile software.

Additionally, phones with the Google Android operating system will soon hit the market. It is expected that phones with RIM and Symbian operating systems will continue to grow as well.