Artificial ignorance

Today we are announcing the availability of Windows phones at retail stores worldwide on October 6, 2009. The new phones will be the first to feature Windows Mobile 6.5, the latest version of our mobile phone software, and will deliver new customer experiences through an improved, easy-to-use user interface, better browsing capabilities and access to valuable services, including Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone.

Mobile partners from around the globe are committed to updating or expanding their portfolios to include phones with Windows Mobile 6.5.

• In North America: Mobile operators AT&T, Bell Mobility, Sprint, TELUS and Verizon Wireless, and phone manufacturers HP, HTC Corp., LG Electronics, Samsung and Toshiba Corp.
• In Europe: Mobile operators Orange, Deutsche Telekom AG and Vodafone Group Plc, and phone manufacturers Acer, HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba
• In Latin America: Mobile operator TIM Brazil, and phone manufacturers HTC, LG Electronics and Samsung
• In Asia Pacific: Mobile operators NTT DoCoMo Inc., SoftBank Mobile Corp., SK Telecom, Telstra and WILLCOM Inc., and phone manufacturers Acer Inc., HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba

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As you may know, I recently joined the Windows Phone team. As the team prepares for 6.5 and our ongoing marketing plans, our team is looking to fill six positions with high caliber entrepreneurial marketing professionals who want to help blaze the trail for Microsoft in connecting mobile customers with cool apps. These positions offer a range of opportunities and include shaping the Marketplace user experience, executing strategic on device marketing and promotional initiatives, building high impact business and channel partnerships, driving financial returns, and cultivating ISV and mobile operator partner satisfaction.  These positions are located in either Palo Alto, CA or in Redmond as indicated. 

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After four and a half years as in the field organization of Microsoft an Evangelist, I’ve decided to move jobs within the company. I’ll be moving to the Windows Mobile team as a Product Manager, helping shape the application development experience for our mobile platform among the startup and student audiences around the world. My job will be to participate (or help people participate)  in as many events as possible and expose people to the possibilities on these devices.

Why now?

While BizSpark has been a roaring success, and I could do broad marketing and evangelism for as long as I live, for the last couple of years I have been wanting to move back to focus more on a single product. BizSpark served as the platform for me to spread my wings and really lead a program for the US subsidiary, and I learned a lot along the way. In fact, if it weren’t for the success that we’d seen there, my good friend Loke Uei Tan would not have tapped me on the shoulder and referred me to the job.

It should be no surprise that mobile is a very hot area. My good friend, Kedric Van de Carr (now with Smaato), who is very involved in the mobile community in the Valley, has been telling me for months about how hot the mobile industry is and how it’s going to grow. The numbers don’t lie. Continue reading