Microsoft will be responding to the intense competition in the smartphone arena by various means, including beefing up its Windows Mobile [1] operating system. In addition, Microsoft will also be trimming down the number of devices that run its operating system. While this sounds surprising, the rationale behind it makes perfect sense.

The New York Times spoke to Todd Peters, the vice president of marketing for the Windows Mobile division, though specifics will have to wait pending a major announcement at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona next month. Peters was reported as saying, "I'd rather have fewer devices and be more focused." The objective is to obtain a better integration between phone and operating system as opposed to having its efforts diluted over too many devices.

Unlike some of the other major smartphone players such as Apple and RIM, Microsoft does not manufacture its own hardware. Its operating system however, is run by some 140 devices from dozens of cell phone makers. Obviously, trying to facilitate between so many disparate manufacturers is no small feat and consumes a significant amount of resources. In a similar vein, Microsoft has quietly pushed back [2] the release of Windows Mobile 7, the next iteration of its mobile operating system. 

To read more about this story:
- check out this article [3] from the New York Times

Related Articles:
Windows Mobile news from FierceMobileIT [4]
Windows Mobile 7 will be delayed [5]