It is no secret that Microsoft is struggling a bit to keep up with the competition.  With the latest news coming out that they are even further behind on their release cycle for Windows 7, things are looking slightly bleak.

In a mobile PDA market that they once controlled, it seems that more competing solutions are released almost every week.  So far, the only thing keeping them in the mix is a combination of great hardware from companies like HTC, modified touch overlays that try to improve where Mobile 6 fails, and the tight integration to Microsoft Exchange – Microsoft’s Flagship enterprise product.

That last feature, Exchange integration will help them less and less.  For one, other companies have solutions for this (Blackberry, Apple, Palm, and now Google).  They can support the sync and the push email. Number two, Exchange isn’t the only solution anymore for doing wireless sync of calendars and address (and email of course).  This is a core capability of the Google Android platform, which is provided free.

It’s clear that Microsoft’s position isn’t solid, and a new take on their Mobile platform could infuse some needed life into an aging solution.  I think they have the people to make it happen, and watching the revolutions and evolutions others have developed, they have the needed guidance for a direction to take.  Microsoft is no longer in the game of leading the development cycle, rather applying those solutions on their platform.  It’s a not problem, as long as they implement those capabilities well.