Microsoft meets real world half-way

MSN, Hotmail goes WAP

By Andrew Orlowski in Cannes • Get more from this author

Posted in Mobile, 25th February 2004 19:33 GMT

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3GSM Microsoft is to put MSN content, including Hotmail, onto OpenWave's V7 software, potentially bringing it in front of many millions of mobile phone users. The deal gives users offline access to Hotmail, MSN Messenger and Passport services.

OpenWave is best known for the most popular, but least-used, piece of software in the world, in the form of its WAP browser. Its ambitious, and very slick V7 software was launched here in Cannes last year, and is positioned by the company as a 'platform'. We guess this deal proves it is.

Without much to announce this year, this deal is probably the most significant piece of news for Microsoft at this year's GSM Congress.

Bootnote

But the news you probably want to hear - and we give no credence to this at all - was our old friend Juha Christensen's attempt to board the Symbian yacht here in the harbor.

Juha was an architect of Symbian alliance, but jumped ship himself, so to speak, to join the arch-enemy, Microsoft. (He left his post at Redmond last year and has since joined Macromedia). Apparently, bygones haven't been gone by for long enough yet, and the attempt was repulsed. Say it ain't so, Juha. ®