Microsoft’s partnership with phone maker Flextronics to develop a mobile platform on its Windows Mobile software for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) gives Microsoft immediate clout in the mobile devices market, analysts say.The mobile phone platform, called Peabody, will run on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) networks. The platform will offer OEMs access to more than 18,000 applications for product line customization, the companies announced.The applications are targeted at OEMs which can serve various customers, ranging from businesses looking for vertical integration applications and messaging solutions to consumers seeking the latest in music, video, pictures and gaming possibilities. “Mobile phones will be what PCs were in the 1990s – the new platform,” said David Passmore, research director for the Burton Group. “This move is for more than phones,” Passmore said. “A lot more devices will migrate into what we now think of as a phone. All the things you now can do on a networked PC will do on phone. You need a nice software platform, and Microsoft has to catch up on the action. Microsoft has to have a solution they can offer to mobile operators. They’ve got to have hardware as well as software.”Flextronics also announced that it is developing a product family of devices based on next- generation Windows Mobile software for deployment on GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks. “As mobile phones become increasingly customized consumer products, OEMs are under pressure to produce low-cost, feature-rich phones that address the demands of this growing market,” said Tom Deitrich, vice president of Original Design & Manufacture (ODM) Products, at Flextronics, which is one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers. “Through ODM mobile phone platforms such as Peabody, Flextronics is providing OEMs with a cost-effective way to quickly expand their product lines and respond to market demands,” he added. Microsoft said it selected Flextronics because of its worldwide market presence. “Flextronics’ record of delivering highly integrated mobile phone platforms to markets around the world gives our joint OEM partners a strong go-to-market ally for smart devices,” said Suzan DelBene, corporate vice president of the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft. “Our joint strengths allow us to deliver innovative and customizable device solutions based on the Windows Mobile platform that can be deployed quickly at competitive price points.”The new offerings were announced at the 3GSM World Congress show taking place this week in Cannes, IDG News Service said. Technology Industry