Big Tech

Microsoft will use next week's GSMA Mobile World Congress to announce a shift in strategy surrounding the marketing of its Windows Mobile software platform for devices, according to BusinessWeek.

Nokia is in talks to integrate Facebook's social networking functionality into its handsets, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Microsoft yesterday announced a number of new developments that aim to help it become a stronger player in the mobile arena.

The slowdown affecting the mobile industry may be getting worse - to judge from various new reports released today - but mobile Internet traffic appears to be surging.

Cellular News reports that Microsoft and Vodafone have announced an agreement under which Vodafone will resell Microsoft's hosted communications and collaboration solution composed of fixed and mobile voice and data, customer equipment and handsets, and Microsoft Online Services.

CNet News notes that more casualties of Google's belt-tightening are surfacing as the search and ad giant pares away projects that don't pass muster: 'Shared Stuff' and 'AdWords' business pages for mobile ads.

In a speech to analysts in New York this week Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirmed that the long-awaited new version of its mobile operating system - Windows 7 - will launch in January 2010, reports Reuters.