Flextronics, Microsoft to present mobile phone

Available only to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Peabody is a low-cost, feature-rich Original Design & Manufacture (ODM) platform developed by both companies. Peabody can be brought to market quickly, cost-effectively and at high volumes. "As mobile phones become increasingly customized consumer products, OEMs are under pressure to produce low-cost, feature-rich phones that address the demands of this growing market," said Tom Deitrich, vice president of ODM Products, Flextronics. "Through ODM mobile phone platforms such as Peabody, Flextronics is providing OEMs with a cost-effective way to quickly expand their product lines and respond to market demands." He added: "Flextronics designed the Peabody platform based on Windows Mobile software, which delivers the substantial functionality required by OEMs while providing the flexibility for quick customization." As a Window Mobile-based device, The Peabody mobile phone platform offers OEMs access to more than 18,000 applications for product line customization. These applications enable OEMs to meet the needs of their varied customers, ranging from businesses looking for vertical integration applications and messaging solutions to consumers seeking the latest in music, video, pictures and gaming possibilities. Flextronics also announced that it is developing a product family of devices based on next- generation Windows Mobile software for deployment on GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks.