Microsoft makes music mobile moves
506285
Microsoft continues its battle to dominate digital music distribution, with news it plans to make its music services available to mobiles before Apple does.
138219
Microsoft have made a beta version of their new music store available to the public. The store is entirely browser-based and does not require a separate client like iTunes.
339592
CANNES/HELSINKI  - The world's largest mobile  phone maker, Nokia, and software giant Microsoft struck a deal  on Monday to make it easier for consumers to buy digital music  on-line and play it back on their handsets.
412782
The world's largest mobile phone maker, Nokia, and software giant Microsoft struck a deal on Monday to make it easier for consumers to buy digital music online and play it back on their handsets.
490758
Windows Mobile brand will replace Pocket PC and Smartphone labels.
80935
Portable Media Center devices, MSN Music store, and Windows Media Player 10 launched.
679644
(InfoWorld) - An executive in Microsoft's entertainment and games division Tuesday hinted that Microsoft may be developing its own Windows Mobile OS-based rival to Apple's iPhone. Speaking at Citi's annual Global Technology Conference in New York on Tuesday, Mindy Mount, corporate vice president and CFO for Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, said it's not "unreasonable" to think that Microsoft will integrate photo, music, and touchscreen features into a Windows Mobile product in the future, though she declined to comment on the specifics of when or what that might look like. Microsoft's idea with Windows Mobile has been to move everyday business capabilities, such as accessing e-mail, from the PC to the mobile device. However, most people "tend to have one phone for personal as well as work [use]," Mount said. "Being able to do pictures and music is something that consumers are going to want, so it's a natural thing for us to want in our product roadmap." Microsoft is rumored to be evolving its Zune multimedia player -- its rival to the iPod -- with new features out by the holiday time at the end of the year, though Mount declined to confirm this on Tuesday. But a hybrid product melding Zune, which so far has had lackluster response from consumers, with Windows Mobile features is not completely unrealistic for the future. Microsoft has already worked with hardware partners to develop Windows Mobile handsets with touchscreen capabilities that are similar to the iPhone's. For example, the HTC Touch from High Tech Computer is one of the latest Windows Mobile devices to offer users the ability to use a touchscreen to scroll through e-mail and contacts and browse Web pages. But the HTC Touch smartphone, which is available in the U.K., Europe, and Asia and should makes its North American debut later this year, doesn't have the type of multimedia capabilities that give the iPhone an edge over rival smartphones, at least in the short term. Market research firm iSuppli said Tuesday that in July, its first full month of release, the iPhone outsold popular competitors, such as the Research in Motion Blackberry and Palm Treo devices. Regarding RIM, comments Mount made Tuesday also seemed to shoot downÂ speculation last week that Microsoft is in talks to purchase the Canadian maker of mobile hardware and software. "We don't comment on rumors, but what I would ask people is what that really gets you," she said. Much of RIM's success has been with the device portion of its BlackBerry business, whereas Microsoft has been very successful with using third parties to build its Windows Mobile devices, Mount said. The company sold 11 million Windows Mobile licenses last year and expects to do 20 million in the current fiscal year. "We're pretty happy with that roadmap right now," she said. That roadmap so far does not include Microsoft offering hardware for its Windows Mobile OS, which also means if the company did release an iPhone rival based on Windows Mobile, it's unclear whether it would be through a third party or from the company itself. Still, if the Xbox 360, Zune, and Milan table-top computer with touchscreen features the company previewed earlier this year are any indication, Microsoft seems to be warming up to the idea of offering consumer hardware devices alongside its traditional software, so an iPhone rival from the vendor is within the realm of possibility.
238712
Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) launched its MSN music download service in eight new European countries on Thursday. The software colossus made the move a mere week after iTunes, the category killer
346467
Microsoft Corp. MSFT.O said on Tuesday   it sees plenty of room for growth in the digital music player   market as the company tries to dislodge Apple Computer Inc.'s   AAPL.O dominant iPod with a device of its own.
174813
Microsoft prepares to release a new application for delivering "snippets" of data to Windows Mobile devices.
89303
Software giant Microsoft unveils a music-downloading service to rival Apple's iTunes and other providers.
59798
Nokia is joining forces with Microsoft to allow its mobile phone users to more easily download music to their handsets.
605333
Accordo con Microsoft per musica su cellulare
92131
Microsoft said it would acquire Danger, a maker of consumer smartphones, an indication that the software giant is quickly moving to expand its mobile strategy.
269550
Microsoft plans to release Windows Mobile 6 on Monday at the 3GSM Conference in Barcelona. The upgrade features integration with Windows Live services, better search, and tighter security.
263507
Mercury News is reporting that Microsoft is set to quietly launch its MSN online music store as part of Windows Media Player 10. According to analysts given a peek at the store, Microsoft's offering closely matches Apple's iTunes Music Store in design. 130 million Windows users will be prompted to update Media Player, and a button in the upper right corner of the software will lead them to MSN Music. Downloads from the store will be compatible with almost 60 portable music players, according to Microsoft.
103201
Microsoft officially launched the MSN Music Store today, marking the company&#39;s entry into the online music download business. The company announced the service