Microsoft's Crossbow a Draw in 2007?

Unstrung reports that analysts are now expecting that "Microsoft's (MSFT) next cut of its mobile operating system, codenamed "Crossbow," will arrive sometime in the middle of next year. Some industry pundits are predicting email, security, and communications upgrades in the revised Windows Mobile platform when it arrives."

Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney said, "If it is announced at the end of the year, which is my prediction, then shipment won't be until mid-2007."

Jack Gold at J.Gold Associates agreed and said, "Last I heard it was still scheduled for the end of year."

Dulaney predicted CrossBow "will try to address some of the weaknesses he sees for enterprise users in Windows Mobile 5.0." He said, "First priority should be to upgrade the email client and security, which today is very weak relative to BlackBerry."

Dulaney also advised that "they must also fix the communications subsystem." He said, "It's about where Windows 2000 was before Windows XP was introduced for mobile notebooks."

Todd Kortsaid, "One of the goals of Microsoft is to minimize -- or eliminate -- the distinction between the Windows Mobile 5 profiles for PDAs and smartphones. I don’t know if this will favor touchscreens or keypads, or make them equally available to both types of devices."