Microsoft Bans VoIP From its Mobile Future

When Microsoft will launch its new OS for mobiles, Windows Mobile 6.5, it will also launch the Windows Marketplace for Mobile. That will be somewhere in the middle of the year. For some time, I thought that Microsoft was making an effort to enter the VoIP party, even late. It started quite well with its OCS 2007. I was also hoping it would (even non-willingly so) join the open source club, seeing the rising popularity of small-cum-big systems like Ubuntu Linux. But I think all that has to wait, and maybe a long time.

Apple tried to keep VoIP away - not to say banned - from the iPhone without explicitly claiming so. However, Microsoft clearly announced 12 prohibited application types for the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, among which are VoIP and applications that could replace Microsoft products. VoIP is banned in order to save mobile operator partners from suffering a massive shift to the alternative of free and cheap calling. This would mainly be through 3G. Wi-Fi will however be allowed since it does not offer a challenging alternative to the ubiquitous mobile networks. We also see again here Microsoft's imposition on the use of its own applications, even in areas where others do better. I doubt there will be a place for Mozilla or Google products in Windows' Mobile Future. Question is: will it be ousting them or itself?