Microsoft will integrate two popular social networks, Twitter and LinkedIn, into the Windows Phone 7 Mango.
Stuart Bottom, program manager/developer for the social notifications and filtering for Windows Phone, stated that the Twitter and LinkedIn social networks would be deeply integrated with the Me Tiles on the Windows Phone home screen. The Windows Mango update is expected to be rolled out by September this year.
With the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update, Microsoft has promised to roll out several new features for the platform. a website has reported over the social notifications and filtering in the Windows Phone clearly indicates how Microsoft wants to stay head to head with rival Apple.
At the Worldwide Developers Conference last month, Apple demonstrated new notifications system along with deeper integration of Twitter social network. Following that suite, Microsoft went a step ahead and also integrated LinkedIn to impress the business class folks as well. The integration goes beyond fetching feeds to filtering specific feeds and updating the Me Tile at the home screen.
Deeper integration of Twitter and LinkedIn would save the Windows Phone owners from the headache to agitate for an official App or hunt for a third party version that supports such social networks. This also indicates the popularity and prominence of three social networks — Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and of course Windows Live.
Microsoft is also working to bring the Facebook Chat with the Mango update. But there’s no clarity on whether the users would be able to engage into a video chat with their Facebook contacts since Microsoft has already bought Skype.
From social network integration in operating system to Facebook button bearing HTC ChaCha/Salsa handsets, these services have become part of a mobile phone.
In September, Apple is expected to roll out the iOS 5 update with loads of new features for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Around same time, Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update will be released for existing devices and we can expect to see new handsets with Mango update preloaded. This year, in September or October, is going to be pretty competitive and interesting for mobile phone owners.