It"s no secret that Microsoft is willing the do what ever it takes to be a solid competitor in the mobile marketplace. When it went back to the drawing board and started fresh, Microsoft knew that it not only wanted to compete in the mobile market, but that they needed to compete in the market.
According to Gameindustry.biz, Microsoft Games Studios" Kieron Connell is quoted as saying:
I think there are too many people with too much money invested to let Apple win in terms of flooding the entire market
You"d better believe Microsoft is very serious about Windows Phone 7, and protecting their part of the business. It"s going to be an interesting time - that"s for sure.
This should not come as a surprise as Microsoft is going to be investing upwards of $500 million USD to leverage its platform. With an advertising budget that large, Microsoft will take several avenues to make sure all types of consumers are aware of the new mobile OS.
WP7 is a mix of the iOS fenced garden but has Android portability. WP7 is currently on several devices like Android, but Microsoft has locked down the platform like iOS. What"s left is a blend of the two platforms that should allow Microsoft to retain control of the platform across many devices but avoid the fragmentation that Android currently experiences.
Image Credit: WPcentral.com