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A Microsoft spokesperson has told eWEEK that the company will show its new version of Windows Mobile to the world on Feb. 12 at the 3GSM trade show in Barcelona, Spain.
The new version, Windows Mobile 6, is an upgrade to the popular Windows Mobile 5, now widely used in smart phones, PDAs and some cell phones. The new version adds a number of capabilities not present, or in some cases incomplete, in the earlier version.
The new e-mail application that comes with Windows Mobile 6 will let you view e-mails in their original HTML form, for example. Those messages will also include live links to Web and SharePoint sites, and display embedded images.
In addition, the new version will be able to work with corporate e-mail servers such as Exchange Server 2007, and it will support Windows Live.
Included with Windows Mobile 6 are mobile components of Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The new version includes enhanced security features, including the ability to wipe out all information contained on a device if its lost or stolen.
Companies can also make sure that the data on storage cards is encrypted.
In its statement, Microsoft claims that the new interface for Windows Mobile 6 is better looking and easier to set up and manage. You can synchronize your Windows Mobile device with Vista, and there is a new interface for calendar reminders, messaging and searching.
Microsoft also said that Windows Mobile 6 devices can be used as wireless modems for laptop computers via Bluetooth or cable connections, something Palm has been able to accomplish for years. The new OS is said to work better with dual mode devices, and negotiate between cell and VOIP (voice over IP) connections.
Microsoft was not able to provide information on when actual devices using Windows Mobile 6 will be available.