Microsoft, Nokia plan mobile Office deal
Microsoft is expected on Wednesday to announce a partnership with European mobile giant Nokia to help get its Office software onto that company's mobile phones, CNET News has learned.
With the next version of Office, Microsoft is trying to expand its desktop hold on the productivity market into one that spans the PC, Web, and phone, and this deal is seen as a significant move in that last category.
The software maker has already said that, with the next version of Office, it plans to offer browser-based versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. Those programs will be able to run inside Safari and Firefox in addition to Microsoft's Internet Explorer. That means that Office, for the first time, will run on Linux-based machines.
On the phone side, Microsoft has shown the ability for Office 2010 documents to be displayed on a variety of mobile phones. So far, the only phones that have their own native versions of Office have been those running Microsoft's Windows Mobile software.
Microsoft is looking for ways to strengthen its Office franchise into one that maintains its relevance and market share even as the PC becomes just one of many devices people use to access their information. Office is also vital to Microsoft's fiscal health, with much of the company's profits still coming from Windows and Office.
Microsoft released a technology preview of the PC-based Office 2010 applications in July, although it has yet to start publicly testing the browser-based versions. The final version of Office 2010 is due next year.
Although Nokia and Microsoft have long been rivals in the phone business, the two have also struck deals at times. Nokia already has a license that allows its phones to connect to Exchange Servers using Microsoft's ActiveSync protocol. In 2007, Microsoft also struck a deal with Nokia to have Windows Live services run on the Finnish company's phones.
The deal comes even as Microsoft is trying to figure out how to keep its Windows Mobile operating system in the game amid stiff competition from Nokia in Europe as well as Apple's iPhone, RIM's BlackBerry, and an emerging threat from devices running Google's Android operating system.
Expanding Office to other mobile devices may help that business, but at the same time takes away one of the areas where Windows Mobile had a leg up on rivals--its direct compatibility with Office.
Update: The two sides aren't talking details, but they have confirmed a press conference on Wednesday to discuss an alliance. It will start at 8 a.m. PT and CNET will have live coverage.
Also, as TechFlash's Todd Bishop points out, Microsoft's Mac Business Unit has scheduled an announcement for Thursday. Do you think we'll see Office for the iPhone this week?
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
Uh oh, here come the MS Defenders!
Amen
Crash phone? never crashed on me. Only slow down a bit because I installed lots of apps and open more than 3 apps at the same time. These apps were not filtered by Microsoft. Thank god!!
Complicated garbage? Don't run to the table and eat what are already on it. Learn how to cook first, then you'll appreciate your cooking skills.
I've purchased all kinds of application packages like the SPB stuff, WisBar suite, and many more. Tried various ROMs of both windows mobile 6.1 and 6.5 and it still does all those same things, no matter if its fully loaded up with apps or just running the default build.
Don't get me wrong its the first smartphone i've gotten for personal use and i like having push email / exchange integration and office applications, i do allot of my emails from my phone now instead of unpacking the laptop when I'm on the road, but that doesn't mean that I don't realize that windows mobile now is about comparable to windows 95 if it were a desktop OS. It has a long way to go to be on par with Vista/7.
Clue2: See first clue. You need a second chance at reading.
Amen
Windows 7 - Effectively what Vista should of been. Golf clap.
Motion Controls Tacked on the failed Xbox console. You can't be serious...
Microsoft Search - Actually lower marketshare than last year before they renamed it. 150 million wasted on trying to get people to use their unwanted search engine and it still sits in last place at 8 percent.
Web version of the office software - yawn.
It is fun though to watch to see which of Microsoft's big failures, Xbox and Search, are going to go down as the company's biggest fiasco. Xbox has a huge head start with some 8 billion in losses and the worst console hardware ever created. But Ballmer is really dumping cash into the failed Bing with his Google insanity.
The Natal thing can be had right now, though you have to buy a Nintendo Wii to use it. ;)
You are correct on the Bing efforts - though to be fair the looky-loo factor has brought it up out of a terminal nosedive. Whether that momentum will actually carry is another story altogether.
In this article's case, Windows Mobile is a dying cause - Microsoft would see more success with making MS Office into an iPhone app (like that would ever happen, but at least they'd stand a chance of turning a profit...)
Windows Mobile got its backside handed to it by the iPhone, and Palm looks to splatter the remains. Little wonder that Microsoft is desperately casting about for ways to get at least some interest in the thing... though IIRC, even HTC (WM's biggest hardware fan) is slowly moving to Android...
It is bizarre how this has been constantly claimed going all the way back to 2002 or 2003.
The E&D Division barely managed to make a tiny profit for the ENTIRE division in 2008. That includes a whole bunch of profitable products besides the Xbox. Almost four years into the console's life and the massive 50 dollar a year online fees and other profitable products like Microsoft Mac software unit that is stuck in the E&D Division to hide the Xbox losses and the entire division effectively added nothing to Microsoft's overall profits.
Even with the Xbox 360 hardware being the worst console hardware ever made, Microsoft is still losing money on the console hardware nearly four years after it was released. It is staggering to think how gigantic the losses would be if Microsoft wasn't forcing Xbox owners to pay 50 dollars a year for the right to play games online.
No wonder Microsoft is throwing in the towel on trying to compete with Sony and the PS3. And instead are just going to recycle the old Xbox 360 hardware with some motion controls tacked on. No one up in Redmond appears to be in the mood to hand over another four billion for the idiots running the Xbox disaster to blow on new Xbox hardware.
Windows 7 even in RC1, is about the best desktop operating system on the planet. It will sell more in just one week, than all the Apple macs sold in the last 12 months.
Meanwhile, Microsoft continues to dominate the world's desktops with over 92% matket share.
Linux? That are less than a rounding error..after over 15 years of trying.
How pathetic is that?
@ Glassner_S :"Microsoft Search - Actually lower marketshare than last year before they renamed it. "
Bing had a biger market share in June than it did n May, and a bigger market share in July than it did in June, albeit the increases were not very bid.
@ Glassner_S : "Web version of the office software - yawn."
With or without web Office, MS Office totally dominates with over 90% market share any way. Google apps is a joke. After 2 years of trying Google apps is still stuck on the road to nowhereland with a tiny market share.
@ Glassner_S : ".It is fun though to watch to see which of Microsoft's big failures, Xbox and Search, are going to go down as the company's biggest fiasco. "
You just crack me up.
The XBOX 360 has been outselling the PS3 every single month in NPD hardware sales this year and even before that. Since September last year alone, the XBOX 360 has outsold the PS3 by a massive 2 million in NPD sales alone. In software sales, every single multiplatform game sells vastly more on the 360 than on the PS3. Heck even Actvison's CEO was forced to warn Sony that they are not too happy woth Activision software sales on the PS3.
In the UK, the 360 contnues to outsell the PS3 in Charttrack hardware sales.
Worldwide, the 360 detsroys the PS3, with the 360 ahead of the PS3 by a very comfortable 8 million units.
I don't see the PS3 finishing anywhere but oh last position in this generation, which is a massive come down for ony, given that the PS2 used to dominate totally in the last gen.
It is interesting how Microsoft is changing, supportimg non-MS browsers and Symbian. Competition makes things better for us users.
Amen
These two are going to hit the sea floor harder than titanic.
Office has worked on Linux just fine for a good while
Microsoft is dying because people who are rather ... insecure about their egos and their choices for religion may feel threatened by the success of anything they don't like, say it is dying.
You know, troll food.
Possibly because that's what people have been asking for?
I hardly see it as a reason for them "dying"
Probably to compete against QuickOffice who already make Office editors. Oh yeah and why would MS make Exchange available to Nokia phones if they were trying to build up WinMo?
Hmm?
Let's see how much interest Microsoft has in Symbian, or even Nokia, once WinMo 7 is released.
In your dreams perhaps, This happens tl be real life.
Why on earth would Nokia, with Symbian, the biggest smart phone seller by far on the planet, move to Android, when Symbian is a far, far , far better smartphone operating system than Andriod will ever be, and Symbian has a vastly bigger market share than Andriod will ever have?
You are making about as much sense as a door knob.
Notice some animosity and fanboyism in your comments. Anyways, since according to you Microsoft is throwing in the towel on trying to comepete with Sony why don't you solidify your point and shut everyone up and provide the NPD numbers for xbox and ps3 sales. Just to make it interesting throw in some NPD on the top selling games for each console. Just a small caveat: Posting the information will make you seem uninformed and will show how your dislike for Microsoft makes you post erroneous and fanciful information.
NPD 360 versus PS3 sales since September 2008:
September 2008
360 - 347,000
PS3 - 232,000
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20697
October 2008
360 - 371,000
PS3 - 190,000
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21107
November 2008
360 - 836,000
PS3 - 378,000
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/npd-wii-gears-of-war-2-lead-charge-to-nearly-3-billion-in-november-sales/
December 2008
360 - 1.44 million
PS3 - 726,000
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/npd-nintendo-drives-08-industry-sales-past-21-billion-/
January 2009
360 - 309,000
PS3 - 203,200
PS3 is still in its downward spiral. It needs THE KILLZONE :)
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/npd-nintendo-domination-continues-as-industry-racks-up-133-billion-in-
February 2009
360 - 391,000
PS3 - 276,000
Nearly 400K for 360 in February is impressive. Must be the Killzone effect.
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/npd-wii-fit-street-fighter-iv-drive-industry-to-147-billion-in-february/
March 2009
360 - 330,000
PS3 - 218,000
The Killzone effect caused all consoles to drop.
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/npd-march-video-game-sales-suffer-17-decline-first-quarter-flat/
April 2009
360 - 175,000
PS3 - 127,000
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23636
May 2009
360 - 175,000
PS3 - 131,000
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24014
June 2009
360 - 240,600
PS3 - 164,700
http://gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24470
Since September 2008 alone, the 360 has oustold the PS3 by a pretty impressive over 2 million in NPD hardware sales.
LTD, the 360 has oustold the PS3 by 7.5 million in the US alone.
The PS3 doesn't do any better when it comes to software sales either:
August 2008
1. 360 Madden NFL 09 - 1.0 million
2. PS3 Madden NFL 09 - 643,000
September 2008
1. 360 Star Wars: Force Unleashed - 610,000
3. 360 Rock Band 2 - 363,000
November 2008
1. 360 Gears of War 2 - 1.56 million
2. 360 Call of Duty: World at War - 1.41 million
6. PS3 Call of Duty: World at War - 597,000
March 2009
1. 360 Resident Evil 5 - 938K
3. 360 Halo Wars - 639K
4. PS3 Resident Evil 5 - 585K
May 2009
1. 360 UFC 2009 Undisputed - 679,600
4. PS3 UFC 2009 Undisputed - 334,400
June 2009
1. 360 Prototype - 419,900
13. PS3 Prototype - 179,210
Oops!
The PS3 gets clobbered again.
- by jakemilwaukee August 14, 2009 8:39 AM PDT
- ps sorry for posting off topic
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