The worst kept secret in mobile

The companies behind the latest smart phone launch would love us all to believe their teaming up is significant. In many ways it is. Normally a three-way arrangement of this type in mobile sees at least one relative minnow. (The deal a year ago between Microsoft, Orange and Taiwan’s HTC was an example – though the world of East Asian white label manufacturing might be offended by such an assessment.)

But despite the brands and the impressive talk, the MPx200 and the subsequent models the partnership spawns – remember, this is just a first stake in the ground – are just another edging forward in mobile.

Getting the Windows Smartphone OS onto another device is always something to celebrate back in Redmond. Though sales haven’t been stellar, last year’s SPV (the one in association with Orange and HTC) has been a success in terms of that all-important metric: ARPU (average revenue per user). It may be buggy but Orange points out the model generates the most unit-by-unit data revenues of any of its considerable line up of phones – already well up on the levels Orange needs to satisfy its ‘quarter of revenues from data by 2005’ goal.

Orange has always seemed to try more things than some of its UK competitors, though arguably now O2 is just as experimental. A few years ago that might have meant punting out phones and laptop data cards using a form of circuit-switched technology called HSCSD in advance of packet-switched GPRS. Nowadays, that may be a case of offering devices using all the major OSes, though a lack of a BlackBerry option stands out.

It doesn’t consider this a scattergun approach. It calls it innovation. Whatever. The equipment and software companies won’t complain and they will look to take what they learn, in particular the plus points to operators elsewhere.

Expect to see the MPx200 offered by others, and not just the odd carrier in North America or Asia. It is lacking in some regards. For example, not having an integrated camera at a time when even stuffy businessmen are turning on to non-voice possibilities after taking their first snapshot is surprising. But this is just version one, as it were, and a Motorola with a renewed energy for the mobile market has releases planned some time ahead.

Those in the Linux, Java and Symbian camps are sure to follow closely the noises coming from the rather large Microsoft-Motorola-Orange table. Microsoft won’t disclose its goals in mobile – how many device wins does Bill want, how much money will be thrown at the sector and for what reward? – though one of its key representatives in the sector speaks of “big aspirations”.

Maybe the latest three-way deal won’t have Microsoft’s or Motorola’s rivals shaking in their boots. But it is, as we say, moving the industry forward. And it is a “special relationship” to be watched.