Microsoft Teams Up with AT&T for Windows Phone 7

During the World Mobile Conference, Microsoft launched the new Windows Phone 7 platform. The renowned software company has has picked AT&T as its “premier partner” in the U.S., making AT&T the authorized distributor of smartphones that will carry the Windows 7 for mobile phone platform.

This news is both a surprise and not a surprise to me. Yes, you got it right. It is both a surprise and not a surprise. It is not a surprise because AT&T has always been the “chosen one” when it comes to premier smartphone platforms. Prior to this, AT&T is also the exclusive distributor of Apple iPhone in the United States.

The news also came as a surprise because AT&T has lately been the target of complaints from customers who use the iPhone because they are apparently frustrated with the unreliable 3G connectivity and the slow data speeds. This somehow gives us an idea that these customers are only settling for AT&T just so they can use the iPhone. Some customers content themselves by using alternative handsets in order to avoid AT&T business dealings.

Microsoft is a big and popular software company so choosing AT&T can raise the eyebrows of some customers. Why would Microsoft pick AT&T? Maybe it’s because Microsoft has the same reasons as Apple does: AT&T can meet the demands and their data network only requires minor improvements for it to run efficiently.

Whatever reason Microsoft may have in selecting their premier partner, we’ll just have to wait and see. Hopefully, AT&T services will be more improved so as not to disappoint the customers. At the moment, it is not clear what Microsoft meant by “premier partner”. It could mean that AT&T will be the sole distributor of handsets loaded with Windows 7 platform or they will only get preferential treatment in terms of the Windows Phone 7 availability.