September 12, 2004
Microsoft Sees Music Opportunity in Cell Phones
U.S. software giant Microsoft is aiming to get its audio and video software into mobile phones before it is beaten to the 650-million-handsets-a-year market by rivals like Apple, reports Reuters.
"Microsoft has quietly made preparations to make its media software available to chip and handset makers, enabling consumers to play music they have saved in the Windows Media format on their PCs on their handsets.
With Microsoft's media technology built into cell phones, consumers could buy music at Internet stores which use Microsoft's Windows Media format to encrypt and protect tracks. "The sales numbers (of mobile phones) are staggering. It's obvious that it's our goal to sign up all major handset makers," Huggers said.
Analysts have said that handsets will eventually put the dedicated portable music players out of business, because bigger memory means consumers can store their music on their phone.
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