Topic: Collaboration

Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update

Summary: At the opening day of its TechEd 2011 conference, Microsoft officials shared some new business-focused features that the company will be adding to the "Mango" Windows Phone operating system udpate due later this year.

By Mary Jo Foley for All About Microsoft | May 16, 2011 -- 06:43 GMT (23:43 PDT)

Follow @maryjofoley

At the opening day of its TechEd 2011 conference, Microsoft officials shared some new business-focused features that the company will be adding to the "Mango" Windows Phone operating system udpate due later this year.

In a May 16 Windows Phone blog post, officials reconfirmed earlier promises that Windows Phone will get support for Windows Live SkyDrive from inside the Office Hub. With Mango, users will have the ability to save and share Office documents through Office 365. (Right now, there is good OneNote/SkyDrive integration on Windows Phones, but not a lot of support for other Office Web Apps.)

Officials also said Mango will provide pinnable e-mail folders, providing users with quick access to project folders or an RSS feed set up inside Outlook. Microsoft also will support conversation view in e-mail with Mango, officials said. (I'm not a fan of conversation view, but I know some folks are.) Mango also will allow users to search for their older e-mail on their back-end e-mail server, not just the mail stored on phones.

Microsoft also shared more about its plans for Lync, its unified communications product, on Windows Phone 7, noting that a Lync Mobile client -- which will provide presence information, instant messaging, and video/audio conferencing -- will be available in the Mango timeframe. The Lync Mobile app will be a free download from the Windows Phone Marketplace.

The Softies also said Mango will add support for complex, alpha-numeric passwords, information-rights management for protecting e-mail and Office documents, and support for access to hidden Wi-Fi networks.

Microsoft is expected to finish coding on the Mango update later this summer and to get it to handset makers and carriers in time for them to deliver it on new and existing phones by holiday 2011. Microsoft is holding a VIP Preview for Windows Phone for press and analysts on May 24, when the company is expected to share more details about Mango.

Topics: Collaboration, Microsoft, Mobility, Operating Systems, Software, Telcos, Windows

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33 comments

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Where?

Where isthe multiple calendars from one account support? Or tasks support?

JaymzB1476
16 May, 2011 07:09

Reply Vote
- RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
  
  @JaymzB1476
  
  In the words of Axl Rose...All we need is just a little patience!
  
  Rob.sharp
  17 May, 2011 16:03
  
  Reply Vote
  - RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
    
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    upinson
    11 October, 2011 05:24
    
    Reply Vote
How about updates?

Any word if they will allow updates to the OS without the Zune software? We have been evaluating Windows Phone as an alternative to Blackberries and one of the things we don't like it the only way to update the phones is through the Zune software. A standalone update (or better yet OTA updates) would be much better.

mike.celone@...
16 May, 2011 07:17

Reply Vote
- OTA puts you at the mercy of the Carriers.
  
  @mike.celone@... Ask the Android guys how well [i]that[/i] has worked out for them. Going through Zune (or iTunes for iPhoners) may not be optimal, but it beats the hell out of depending on AT&T, Verizon, or any other carrier for delivering your updates.
  
  matthew_maurice
  16 May, 2011 07:26
  
  Reply Vote
- RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
  
  @mike.celone@... I have to agree with matthew_maurice on ths one. I do NOT want any upgrades in the hands of the carriers. Besides, 7.5 will be a large upgrade. I'm sure people on limited data plans don't want to pay to download it OTA.
  
  Microsoft could fix this problem by dumping the aging Windows Media Player in favor of the new and much more elegant Zune desktop. Then, Zune would be included in all new versions of Windows.
  
  frankwick
  16 May, 2011 07:59
  
  Reply Vote
  - RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
    
    @frankwick @matthew_maurice I don't mind waiting on the carriers for the updates in an enterprise environment as we typically don't upgrade the devices right away. Right now we have a fleet of about 150 Blackberries. Any updates we send out to them is done through the BES and over the air. Very rarely do I have to plug a BB in in order to update it.
    
    If we were to migrate to WP7 (or iPhone for that matter) my only option for updating the phones is plugging them into a workstation that has Zune installed or installing the Zune (or iTunes) software on each user's PC. Either option is not that desirable.
    
    Ideally user's would have the option of doing it OTA or provide IT with a dedicated tool for doing upgrades.
    
    mike.celone@...
    16 May, 2011 08:30
    
    Reply Vote
  - RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
    
    @frankwick Carriers can still have some control over updates. That's why it took longer to get the recent WP7 updates on AT&T phones.
    
    vel0city
    16 May, 2011 10:32
    
    Reply Vote
  - RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
    
    @frankwick
    
    Agreed, carriers have too much control as is. The only thing I want a carrier to do is manage the network. Do I have Data? Check! Do I have voice? Check! That's it and nothing more.
    
    Rob.sharp
    17 May, 2011 16:01
    
    Reply Vote
- RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
  
  @mike.celone@...
  
  Yes, requiring Zune is not acceptable for any sizable mobile device deployment. Mobile Device Manager and/or Configuration Manager was used in the Windows Mobile days, which has no dependancy on carriers. They have to address this issue (among others) with WP 7.5; otherwise it will be dead in the water for enterprise just as WP 7 was. WM 6.5 is still the best mobile OS for business.
  
  lippidp
  16 May, 2011 13:17
  
  Reply Vote
- RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
  
  @mike.celone@... It is actually the worst idea to try to update your phone over the air or wirelessly because you have to download a huge amount of data that your wireless carrier network will not be able to handle and it will take you forever to do that because everyone else is also tryingot to update their phones too. As an IT person myself, it is better to update your phones via your PC which is connected to a proper ISP instead of a mobile carrier. We all know how slow it is to download just a few megabytes of data, not to mention phone OS updates that can be in the gigabytes. The other thing is that Zune also takes a backup of your phone in case anything happens so it can be restored to previous state. This is standard IT practice; before working on your system, take a backup, in other words, better safe thean sorry.
  
  techiegz@...
  16 May, 2011 14:27
  
  Reply Vote
- RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
  
  @mike.celone@...
  Before update, MS does full backup of phone which in some cases could be gigs worth of data/media. So update via USB is necessary for major updates.
  
  bobkemp2123@...
  16 May, 2011 20:27
  
  Reply Vote
- RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
  
  @mike.celone@... If you're avoiding a change to WP7 for this reason primarily, you're sadly missing out on so many other benefits. Weigh the options. BB is a dying breed. We've made the switch in our enterprise, and we're not looking back.
  
  loogmord
  17 May, 2011 13:37
  
  Reply Vote
RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update

Any news on when devs will get a version of Mango for their phones?

edyg023
16 May, 2011 07:53

Reply Vote
- The Mango dev tools
  
  are going to devs later this month... I believe emulators will as part of this, too... MJ
  
  Mary Jo Foley
  16 May, 2011 10:30
  
  Reply Vote
Lync support is ok....

I can see that Microsoft wants to have Lync support in WP7, since not having it would make their O365 support look incomplete, but where is the true WLM client for WP7? Right now WLM is relegated to status updates ala Twitter, and I would never trust a third-party app developer with my credentials (look what happened with eBuddy and all the other WLM clones selling logins to spammers with their iOS clients). Is this the line in the sand where Microsoft is slowly transitioning away from IM in WLM? (IM users are dropping off WLM) Or are they waiting until they can work out the Skype integration into WLM?

Or will the Lync client be for consumers with WLM accounts too?

Joe_Raby
16 May, 2011 08:06

Reply Vote
- WLM support is also coming
  
  @Joe_Raby
  
  It will be native to the OS. It's not the same as Lync Online.
  
  LiquidLearner
  16 May, 2011 08:18
  
  Reply Vote
- RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
  
  @Joe_Raby <br>both WLM an Skype are coming.
  Not only those AIM, Facebook Chat and other also coming
  http://www.wpcentral.com/facebook-aim-chat-group-sms-and-more-cmoing-windows-phone-7-5
  http://wmpoweruser.com/skypespotifylayar-and-more-coming-to-windows-phone/
  
  Ram U
  16 May, 2011 10:21
  
  Reply Vote
- WLM in WP
  
  The word on the street is MS is integrating Live Messenger directly into the WP OS with Mango (later this year). Lync is the biz IM/conferencing client... MJ
  
  Mary Jo Foley
  16 May, 2011 10:31
  
  Reply Vote
- RE: Microsoft to add new business features to 'Mango' Windows Phone update
  
  @Joe_Raby Here is the blog/podcast where you can listen for news on new features and one of them is Windows Live Messenger IM/Presence amongst others that we have not seen any images for; http://wpdevpodcast.com/2011/05/15/episode-016-more-mango-madness/
  Relax, MS' got this, they've seen the cards others have in hand and they know what they have to do to easily best anything else out there. Sooner than later, WP7 will be the one to beat, trust me, I'm an IT guy, I know and so do industry analysts.
  
  techiegz@...
  16 May, 2011 14:36
  
  Reply Vote