Following in Apple’s footsteps, software giant Microsoft plans to release a new free online service that provides applications and data management for smartphone users.
The website, which was tentatively launched last week in a beta version, will let smartphone users back up and store information, access and update contacts and appointments, share photos with family and friends and even download applications.
The service – labelled My Phone – is designed for users running Windows Mobile 6 or any later version. Microsoft boasts that the site syncs information between your mobile phone and the web.
“This is a significant milestone for Microsoft as it connects the phone to the PC and web, making mobility a key pillar for the company’s software and services strategy,” the company said in a statement.
This new service syncs information on a user’s mobile phone (including contacts, calendar appointments, tasks, text messages, photos and video) to a password-protected web site.
The big benefit is that once synchronised, users can easily back-up and restore mobile phone data.
The company will also offer a version of the service for small businesses titled “SkyLine”, which will let businesses set up their phones with Microsoft Exchange hosting.
The move is likely an attempt to rival Apple’s MobileMe service, which allows users to synchronise their data, contacts and appointments with Microsoft Exchange servers.
The release of My Phone comes after Microsoft’s share of the global smartphone operating system market increased to 13.3% between 2007 and 2008, according to research group IDC Symbian.
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Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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