The images you see — one above and the other below — appear to be a redesigned Windows Marketplace for the new Windows Phone 7 series. I guess is safe to say that any applications from Windows Mobile 6.5 and under will not work on the new operating system.

This new Marketplace most likely will run independently of what you can access nowadays on Windows Mobile 6.5 and under. As you can see on the screenshots, the new Marketplace comes with some Zune inspired-looking interface where you can filter into apps, games, music, and podcasts.

Well there you have it, I do like it so far and I’m not a big fan of WinMo but the new 7 OS is looking promising. Don’t forget to let us know what you think on the comments area.

With Windows Phone 7 Series, Microsoft takes a fundamentally different approach to phone software. On the Start screen, dynamically updated “live tiles” show users real-time content directly, breaking the mold of static icons that serve as an intermediate step on the way to an application. Create a tile of a friend, and the user gains a readable, up-to-date view of a friend’s latest pictures and posts, just by glancing at Start.

Every Windows Phone 7 Series phone will come with a dedicated hardware button for Bing, providing one-click access to search from anywhere on the phone, while a special implementation of Bing search provides intent-specific results, delivering the most relevant Web or local results, depending on the type of query. Windows Phone 7 Series creates an unrivaled set of integrated experiences on a phone through Windows Phone hubs. Hubs bring together related content from the Web, applications and services into a single view to simplify common tasks. Windows Phone 7 Series includes six hubs built on specific themes reflecting activities that matter most to people:

• People. This hub delivers an engaging social experience by bringing together relevant content based on the person, including his or her live feeds from social networks and photos. It also provides a central place from which to post updates to Facebook and Windows Live in one step.
• Pictures. This hub makes it easy to share pictures and video to a social network in one step
• Games. This hub delivers the first and only official Xbox LIVE experience on a phone, including Xbox LIVE games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer’s avatar, Achievements and gamer profile.
• Music + Video. This hub brings the best of Zune, including content from a user’s PC, online music services and even a built-in FM radio into one simple place that is all about music and video.
• Marketplace. This hub allows the user to easily discover and load the phone with certified applications and games.
• Office. This hub brings the familiar experience of the world’s leading productivity software to the Windows Phone. With access to Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace all in one place, users can easily read, edit and share documents.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[via slashgear]

[via engadget]

There is some progress out there at Microsoft in Windows Mobile area, but nothing of it has been released yet (we expect official launch of Windows Mobile 6.5 at Mobile World Congress 2009 in February 2009 and official launch of Windows Mobile 7 at the same event in 2010).

[MSMobiles via PocketNow]

Balmer said:

Now, we built the Zune hardware with the Zune software – and what you’ll see more and more over time is that the Zune software will also be ported to and be more important not just with the hardware but on the PC, on Windows Mobile devices, etc.

Zune is a brand of digital media players and services that includes portable media players, client software, and the Zune Marketplace online music and video store.

Since no time-frame was given, let’s wait until Windows Mobile 7 releases and see what happen.

[via WMPowerUser]

Job Title: Senior Product Manager – Skymarket

This is a unique opportunity and time of rapid change in the mobile industry for a Senior Product Manager in the Mobile Communications Services team to drive the launch of a v1 marketplace service for Windows Mobile.

Key Responsibilities include the following:

• Definition of the product offering, pricing, business model and policies that will make the Windows Mobile marketplace “the place to be” for developers wishing to distribute and monetize their Windows Mobile applications
• Responsibility for the business model and key elements that will drive the optimal experience for developers and monetization of the service by Microsoft
• Preparation and driving the cross group collaboration for the initial launch of the marketplace offering to the developer community this fall
• Preparation and driving the cross group collaboration with stakeholders in the commercial launch of the marketplace service with the launch of WM 7
• Define and mange the consumer, developer and mobile operator value proposition and supporting materials for use by PR, MCB’s developer outreach organization, and other teams across Microsoft
• Working with multiple stakeholders (product team, product planning, developer outreach, business operations, legal and more) in definition on the process, policies and terms of use through which developers and consumers take part in the marketplace
• Work closely with product planning on prioritization of consumer, developer, and mobile operator scenarios
• Support business development on engagements with mobile operators and integration of the marketplace offering into broader Microsoft services offerings or discussions
• Work closely with the Mobile Communication Business developer outreach organization
• Management of KPI’s for the service post launch

Product Manager – Commercial Integration

This is a unique opportunity for a Product Manager in the Mobile Communications Services team to drive the commercial operations and infrastructure integration for the v1 launch of an applications marketplace service for Windows Mobile 7.

Key Responsibilities include the following:

• Drive the commercial operations and infrastructure integration that will enable the Skymarket service and enable revenue collection from consumers of the service and payments to 3rd party developers selling applications/content through the marketplace
• Drive the cross group collaboration for the commercial operations and infrastructure that enable initial launch of the marketplace with the launch of WM 7
• Benchmarking 3rd party mobile marketplaces for commercial integration options for consumers and developers, generating a set of best practices as input for the app market planner
• Working closely with product teams and potentially 3rd parties on mobile operator commercial integration
• Define the processes and KPI’s for measurement of the performance of the business
• Define processes for the on-going operation of the business including unds collection, payment, reporting requirements
• Oversight of 3rd party developer payments, tax issues, and funds management
  Work closely with product planning on prioritization of consumer, developer, mobile operator integration, and internal commerce integration scenarios
• Preparation and driving the cross group collaboration for the commercial operations and infrastructure that enable initial launch of the marketplace with the launch of WM 7
• Working with multiple stakeholders (product team, product planning, developer outreach, legal and more) in definition on the process, policies and terms of use through which developers and consumers take part in the marketplace
• Support business development on engagements with mobile operators and integration of the marketplace offering into broader Microsoft services offerings or discussions 

Source [istartedsomething]