Windows Mobile 7 coming next year, says Ballmer

Microsoft has had an conference call earlier today, and Steve Ballmer spoke about Windows Mobile as one of its 7 big businesses.

According to Ballmer, Microsoft has been ramping up expenditure in the Windows Mobile segment over the last few years, and at $900 million per year, Windows Mobile is close to 4% of Microsoft’s operating expenditure and has 2000 employees (RIM has 2900).  This still however leaves Windows Mobile as a “somewhat unprofitable” Microsoft business, and with Windows Mobile currently 3rd place in market share behind Symbian and RIM.

Ballmer re-affirmed his oft-repeated statement that Microsoft will not be making a Microsoft Phone, saying it was committed to the licensing model.  There was however a plan to extend revenue-generating opportunities to services.

One statement of note regarding Windows Live was that Microsoft was hamstrung in bundling Live services with the PC due to their Consent Decree from Anti-trust ruling against them nearly a decade ago, and one does wonder how this ruling continues to prevent obvious integration opportunities which would make Windows Mobile and the various services around it a much more powerful solution than it is now.

Source- wmpoweruser.com