Guest Paul (MVP) Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 When I mention Danger and their product the Sidekick, people automatically think 'Paris Hilton', referring to the episode that did more for Danger's brand awareness than any ad campaign ever could do :) It seems the Danger name is about to get a lot more well know, as in today's Microsoft Press Conference at the Mobile World Congress, as Liveblogged by us, Microsoft announce that they have agreed to buy Danger, adding considerable consumer-friendly skills to the company. Check the liveblog transcript for the announcement as it happened, statements by Microsoft on how they plan to integrate the Danger acquisition, the affect it will (or more won't) have on the existing Motorola / Sharp hardware partnerships and more. No official press releases on either the Microsoft site or the Danger site, but it really is happening, and is an exciting acquisition the future of consumer-centric Windows Mobile! P [Edit: Press release follows!]REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 11, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Danger Inc., the company responsible for the software and services powering many popular consumer handsets. The acquisition will align Danger’s nearly 10 years of expertise in the mobile consumer space with Microsoft’s vision to provide innovative and compelling mobile experiences to a growing base of customers. “Microsoft is a global leader with our Windows Mobile software and expanding mobile services,” said Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “The addition of Danger serves as a perfect complement to our existing software and services, and also strengthens our dedication to improving mobile experiences centered around individuals and what they like.” The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company provides services that allow people to keep in touch, stay organized and keep informed while on the go through real-time mobile messaging, social networking services and other applications ― all blended together on a single phone that is intuitive and customizable. “Danger continues to provide an effortless and fun mobile experience for consumers,” said Henry R. Nothhaft, chairman and CEO of Danger Inc. “Now by combining our uncompromised application software and powerful back-end service with Microsoft, we can expand our innovative service offerings even further and take mobility to a new level.” A Grasp on Consumers Danger has connected with a customer base that is young and enthusiastic, Internet-savvy and socially inclined. The Danger team has a deep understanding of consumers and a hold on what people want from mobility, making it an ideal group to work with in delivering connected experiences. Adding Danger to the Entertainment and Devices Division will provide Microsoft with additional assets and resources that will accelerate the company’s entry into the consumer space and complement the company’s focus on delivering innovative technologies and services that connect people’s entertainment and information. Danger will further expand people’s mobile options by bringing a variety of established partnerships to the mix. Microsoft software can be found on more than 160 mobile phones made by more than 50 hardware partners, which are offered through more than 160 mobile operators around the world. Defining the Mobile Experience Through focused efforts Danger has successfully delivered a software and services platform to the mobile mass market. Applications on Danger-powered handsets include HTML Web browsing, instant messaging, games, multimedia, social networking, Web e-mail and personal information management applications. Combining these services with Microsoft’s connected entertainment and experiences technologies, including MSN, Xbox, Zune, Windows Live and Windows Mobile, will provide Microsoft with the tools to accelerate its work to create industry-leading entertainment and communication experiences for consumers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest xorangefirex Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 (edited) This could be an incredible acquision for Microsoft as the main complaint is of user-friendliness and lack of "eye candy". Edited February 11, 2008 by xorangefirex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nickcornaglia Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 This is completely confusing to me. MS were free to make a Sidekick-like device without needing to buy them. Which makes me wonder WHY did they actually buy them? My guess is that if they want to keep the fan base...they'll make a similar OS based on Windows CE rather than changing it completely over to WindowsMobile. If that's not the plan...I dont get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tsutton Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 This is completely confusing to me. MS were free to make a Sidekick-like device without needing to buy them. Which makes me wonder WHY did they actually buy them? Microsoft do not make any mobile hardware. So this could be good for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Nor do Danger. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Confucious Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 'Scuse my ignorance, but WTF is Sidekick / Danger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tsutton Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 'Scuse my ignorance, but WTF is Sidekick / Danger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tsutton Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Nor do Danger. Yeah, I meant to say that Danger has some good contacts with other companies to design and develop it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jimbouk Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 If I was MS, I would have simply developed a simple pretty front end of WM6 like Pointui, got manufacturers to build devices that looked cool and then paid some c list celebs to be seen using them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts