Microsoft recently kicked off the global roll out for its Windows Phone 7.5 Mango mobile operating system (OS), with which the company is looking to boost its share of the mobile OS market.

During an interview with All Things Digital, Andy Lees, president of Windows Phone at Microsoft, stated that the company is aiming to take hold of the number three position on the mobile OS podium, as a viable alternative to Apple’s iOS as well as Google’s Android. “Our first [release] was about mindshare, and really getting the credibility, and I think [Mango] is really about starting to build unit volume and market share.”

With regards to dual-core powered smartphones and 4G/ LTE networks, Lees revealed that both are on their way to Windows Phone OS running mobile devices, but would not go into the specifics.

All the Windows Phone Mango-operating smartphones unveiled thus far, such as HTC’s new TITAN and Radar and Samsung’s Omnia W, boast single core processors and work on 3G. “They’re all single core, but I suspect that they will be faster in usage than any dual-core phone that you put against it, and that’s the point,” Lees said. Microsoft is holding off on dual-core chips until its mobile OS is able to fully take advantage of multiple CPU cores, according to Lees.

As for 4G/LTE, Lees explained that the company and its partners were waiting to add support for these faster networks, when they can be integrated in a manner that would not be so draining on smartphones’ battery usage.

In its latest annual proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission at the beginning of the month, Microsoft revealed that it achieved “lower than expected initial sales of Windows Phone 7” smartphones. As a result it awarded its CEO Steve Ballmer with a bonus of $682 500 over and above his base salary of the same amount for the fiscal year that ended on 30 June.

This award is a result of Ballmer meeting, but not exceeding his performance targets for the year. The company could have awarded him with a cash bonus of up to $1 365 000 (double his salary) of he performed better with regard to aspects such as Windows Phone sales.  

 

In related news Microsoft also recently announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with Samsung Electronics to cross-license the patent portfolios of both companies. This agreement will provide broad patent coverage for each company’s products.