RIM and Sprint back Microsoft phone platforms

Microsoft will announce expansions to its application and device options on its phone platforms this week at the CTIA Wireless trade show in New Orleans.

Research In Motion will help users of Microsoft-based phone devices take advantage of its Blackberry wireless e-mail technology, and US mobile operator Sprint this year will deliver two more CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) devices that use the Microsoft platform.

RIM will develop a software client for its Blackberry wireless e-mail technology to run on the Pocket PC Phone Edition and SmartPhone software platforms, said Ed Suwanjindar, lead product manager for Microsoft's Mobile Devices Division.

Two Pocket PC Phone Edition devices will be released for customers of Sprint PCS.

The PCS Phone by Samsung SPH-i700, is a combination phone and handheld computer with an integrated 640-by-480-pixel digital camera. The phone will be available in the second quarter of this year.

The second phone, the PCS Phone by Hitachi G1000, is a combination phone and handheld with a built-in QWERTY keyboard, and will available in the second half of this year. It has an integrated rotating digital camera.

Both devices will allow customers to shoot and share pictures with other customers on the Vision network, Suwanjindar said.