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Windows Phone 7.5 is arriving!

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Windows Phone 7.5 (code-named “Mango”) is here and ready for delivery. Most Windows Phone users have received the Mango update and Mobile Operators are preparing to launch their new Windows Phone 7.5 devices soon. And if there’s any question about whether a cool people-centric design can also be a smart business choice, we think the answer is “Yes.”

Windows Phone was designed with productivity in mind, and it achieves this design goal in a number of ways. For one, users and reviewers agree that the UI is intuitive and a pleasure to work with. But communication and collaboration involves more than just a cool UI – it requires mobile devices that are secure, and that can be integrated with existing infrastructure. So we made sure that Windows Phone 7.5 addresses these requirements in ways that enhance and complement the original design.

Windows Phone 7.5 includes the latest version of Internet Explorer Mobile, a sleek and speedy browser with full HTML5 support– but one that cannot be used to download or install malware from the web. It also includes Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) protocol 14.1, which supports complex (alphanumeric) passwords. In addition, Windows Phone 7.5 supports server search, task/to-do list synchronization, and Information Rights Management (IRM) for email and Office documents.

And for organizations that have made the move to cloud-based computing and Office 365, Windows Phone 7.5 configures pretty much everything automatically – all workers need is their ID and password.

Soon employees will also be able to stay in touch through Lync Server 2010 and the Lync Mobile app.

We’re pleased that Windows Phone is being acknowledged as an innovative smartphone. Some have even said that it’s upped the ante for smartphone design, which is quite a compliment. The Windows Phone design team appreciates all the positive comments, but there’s a lot left to do. We appreciate your feedback on this blog and what you think needs to be done to make Windows phone even better for business users. Why not submit your best Windows Phone ideas in the Suggestion Box?

We will continue working to enhance Windows Phone, but we’ve worked hard to ensure that Windows Phone 7.5 addresses the needs of users as well as IT pros. We think it’s the smart business choice, but see for yourself – we think you’ll find that it withstands scrutiny quite well.  We are starting a new series of papers on Windows Phone 7.5  with updated information to reflect the new functionality in Windows Phone 7.5. We will keep the Windows Phone 7 guide for IT professionals up for a while, in case you need them.

Alan Meeus, Windows Phone Team

Comments

  • Anonymous
    October 21, 2011
    Alan, I work for AT&T Corporate. I am looking for a definitive list/presentation that details the features AND benefits that directly correlate to enterprise adoption of Windows Phone 7.5. This is a vital concern for me. Can you assist in any way?

  • Anonymous
    November 30, 2011
    I have been a long term user of windows phones. But ever since v7 I have had to reluctantly shift to blackberry due to the lact of capability to enable data encryption via active sync. Was very disappointed to see that the Mango release also did not cover this. Please add this very essential feature to enable users like me to restart using windows phone for enterprise purposes.