Microsoft syncs mobile data with My Phone

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 9 Feb 2009 at 08:58

Microsoft has released details of its forthcoming mobile synchronisation service, My Phone.

The service will allow mobile users to back-up their contacts, calendar and other data on a password-protected Microsoft website.

The service is designed to make it easier for people who are upgrading their phone, or have had their handset lost or stolen.

Microsoft will offer My Phone free of charge, but will only provide 200MB of storage. "If a synchronisation would result in exceeding this limit, you will receive an error message on your phone and your account on the My Phone website will only include information received prior to reaching this limit," the My Phone website explains. "Any files in excess of this limit will not be saved."

The service will only work on handsets running Windows Mobile 6.

Microsoft isn't the first company to offer such a service. Apple's MobileMe keeps data synchronised across phones and Macs for a fee, while free services such as Mobyko work across multiple mobile operating systems.

Microsoft is also expected to launch a mobile phone applications store and Windows Mobile 6.5 at this month's Mobile World Congress.