At the 16th annual 3GSM World Congress today, Flextronics and Microsoft Corp. announced Peabody, a GSM/GPRS mobile phone platform designed and integrated by Flextronics based on Microsoft Windows Mobile software.

Available only to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Peabody is a low-cost, feature-rich Original Design & Manufacture (ODM) platform developed by both companies. Peabody can be brought to market quickly, cost-effectively and at high volumes.

Flextronics is one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers worldwide and is the leading Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider. The company’s extensive ODM mobile phone development experience makes Flextronics a strategic partner for the creation of a complete ODM mobile phone platform, such as Peabody.

"As mobile phones become increasingly customized consumer products, OEMs are under pressure to produce low-cost, feature-rich phones that address the demands of this growing market," said Tom Deitrich, vice president of ODM Products, Flextronics. "Through ODM mobile phone platforms such as Peabody, Flextronics is providing OEMs with a cost-effective way to quickly expand their product lines and respond to market demands." He added, "Flextronics designed the Peabody platform based on Windows Mobile software, which delivers the substantial functionality required by OEMs, while providing the flexibility for quick customization."

As a Windows Mobile-based device, the Peabody ODM platform offers OEMs more than 18,000 applications for product line customization. These applications enable OEMs to meet the needs of their varied customers, ranging from businesses looking for vertical integration applications and messaging solutions, to consumers seeking the latest in music, video, pictures, and gaming possibilities.

"Flextronics’ record of delivering highly integrated mobile phone platforms to markets around the world gives our joint OEM partners a strong go-to-market ally for smart devices," said Suzan DelBene, corporate vice president of the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft. "Our joint strengths allow us to deliver innovative and customizable device solutions based on Windows Mobile platform that can be deployed quickly at competitive price points."

This collaboration is further evidence of growing traction for Microsoft’s mobile offering, with Flextronics now delivering Peabody Windows Mobile-based devices globally. Flextronics also announced that it is developing a product family of devices based on next-generation Windows Mobile Software for deployment on GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks.