Opinionated comments on mobile phone industry news

'Gates sees no Google threat in phone software' is to me classical marketing smoke and mirrors, diverting attention from the real issues.

Of course Google is not a threat on software platforms for mobile clients, but they certainly are in terms of Internet-based mobile services, in part using downloaded mobile phone software in Java, Symbian OS etc, and that's where the market is moving. Phones will increasingly be platforms for downloaded applications serving as front-ends to services.

I see very little of new thinking in Microsoft's offerings on services. Microsoft still hasn't got alternatives to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Salesforce etc. It doesn't matter if those services are not profitable (even though I'm sure at least Salesforce is very profitable, and the others have an easy time getting investor money) if Microsoft is not even there to find out if such services can be made profitable. Rather it sounds like an argument from a player that can't keep up.

Also clear is that Microsoft's Windows Mobile is not really a threat to Symbian OS, or rather specifically the Nokia Series 60 flavor. I guess Microsoft doesn't want to speak too loudly about that.