PC World: As competition in the mobile phone market heats up, two companies with flagging momentum are teaming up to try to compete better with the market leaders.
Microsoft and LG on Monday said that they plan to work closely together, collaborating on research and development, marketing, applications and services for converged mobile devices. The announcement came from Seoul, Korea, LG’s base, during a trip there by Steve Ballmer.
The collaboration is not a first for the companies. LG has already been making phones that run Windows Mobile. But the agreement could signal a stepped up effort by both companies to try to beat the competition.
While LG has had some hot sellers, such as the Chocolate, it now faces challenges from new competitors Apple and Google which are generating more excitement. Google just two weeks ago introduced the first phone to run on its Android software, HTC’s G1. Apple’s iPhone continues to build momentum.
Microsoft too has been affected by the new competitors. Both companies have slipped in rankings recently.
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