Vodafone to delay introduction of Microsoft phone system: report

LONDON (AFP) Dec 22, 2003
Vodafone, the world's biggest mobile telephone operator, is to delay the introduction of a new operating system developed by US software titan Microsoft, the Financial Times reported Monday.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin said of the system: "In our view, it's not quite ready for prime time."

The pair already co-operate on mobile standards but have not signed a deal on operating systems, the paper said.

The newspaper described the comments as a setback to Microsoft's ambitions in the telecommunications industry.

In September US group Motorola became the first operator to announce plans to use the Windows operating system in its "Smartphone," which will be marketed by France's Orange in Europe.

But Sarin hinted that Vodafone wanted to see further improvements to the system before it would consider using it in its handsets, the FT said.

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