Microsoft vows productivity leap with Windows Phone 7 Mango update

A month after first previewing the next iteration of its Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system at its annual MIX event, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) continues revealing additional details on the software update, slated for release later this year. Among the new enhancements in the WP7 upgrade, codenamed "Mango": Productivity features including saving and sharing Office documents via Office 365 and Windows Live SkyDrive, ensuring anytime/anywhere availability, as well as pinnable email folders for more efficient access to specific messages and projects, email conversation views that consolidate all replies into a single thread, server search to access messages no longer stored on the phone, and Lync Mobile unified communication capabilities like IM and presence.

Also new in Windows Phone 7 Mango: Complex (alpha-numeric) password support, Information Rights Management support for securing emails and Office documents, and support for access to hidden corporate Wi-Fi networks.

Microsoft states that the number of Windows Phone 7-optimized applications available via the company's Windows Phone Marketplace is expected to top 16,000 sometime this week. "With new capabilities for developers in Mango (e.g., HTML5 support, Targeted Distribution of apps) we expect an even larger number and wider range of apps for Windows Phone in the future," writes senior director of business experience Paul Bryan on the Windows Phone Blog.

For more:
- read this Windows Phone Blog entry

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