Microsoft works on Mango apps before Gulf launch

Microsoft is getting ready for the regional launch of Windows Mobile Phone 7.5, also called Mango, but is still declining to say specifically when the phones will arrive in stores. Samer Abu Ltaif, General Manager for Microsoft Gulf, said preparations are under way. "At the moment we are pretty busy with our partners in order to prepare for the launch," he said. "In the region we don't want to bring anything to this market that doesn't include Arabic and have other local touches." He said Microsoft is also trying to increase the number of applications in the marketplace so the phone will be competitive when launched. The first Mango-powered phones were launched in the US last month. When asked about competition from grey-market phones in the UAE, Abu Ltaif said the grey market was always a concern, but Microsoft was more concerned about the quality of the phones being launched here than in rushing the phones to market. He also said Microsoft is working with the regional telcos in preparation for the launch. Aggressive offering "We are working very closely with all the telcos in the region to make sure at the time we have an aggressive and a rich offering," he said. Microsoft has said the handsets running Mango will be made by HTC, Samsung, Dell and Nokia. Having Nokia is still an important partner for Microsoft, he said. "It is not a secret that the strategic decision that Nokia has taken to retire the Symbian operating system on smartphones and commit to Windows Mobile Phone 7 is strategic for us as well."