Motorola (NYSE: MOT) introduced an enterprise-grade mobile device based on Windows Mobile 6.5.3 and designed for industries where consumer smartphones aren't suitable for use. Sprint (NYSE: S) will be marketing the device to enterprise customers later this year.

The vendor unveiled the ES400 Enterprise Digital Assistant, designed to enable mobile workers to execute business functions and run applications that are specifically created for their working environments.

"In the past workers have tried to use consumer devices as work devices, but these are often not up to the job in terms of durability or battery life, and can make it difficult for IT managers to keep track of devices accessing data," Motorola UK product marketing manager Andy McBain, told V3.co.uk.

The rugged device promotes the use of applications to the front screen, captures signatures with a pen on a return-resistive screen and enables biometric fingerprint security, image tagging and barcode scanning. Motorola said the battery can provide up to 250 hours on standby and six hours of talk time.

The ES400, which runs on Windows Mobile 6.5.3, has the ability to operate on both CDMA and GSM networks for international use and includes push-to-talk capability that allows groups to talk via WiFi networks, Motorola said.

Motorola's use of Windows Mobile 6.5 dovetails with Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) revelation that it has two mobile operating systems in the works which focus on the enterprise and embedded devices. In the next six months Microsoft will release a mobile OS based on Windows Mobile 6.5, and in 2011 it will introduce a mobile OS based on Windows Phone 7.

Microsoft's decision to enhance the Windows OS with the enterprise in mind has solidified Sprint and Motorola's confidence in Microsoft's place in the enterprise. Motorola's president of enterprise mobility solutions, Gene Delaney told PCMag that the enterprise group is committed to Microsoft's OSes.

For more:
- see this v3.co.uk article
- read this Reuters article

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