Windows Phone 6.5 officially arrives today

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Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system, Windows Phone 6.5 makes its official debut around the world today.

The operating system, formerly known as Windows Mobile 6.5, has been rebranded and with the change of moniker comes somewhat of an image overhaul, including a set of bumper features to please consumers and business users alike.

“Windows phones bring together the best of the Web, the PC and the phone so you can connect instantly to the experiences you care about, no matter where you are,” Microsoft’s chief executive Steve Ballmer said back at Mobile World Congress in February when the OS was first unveiled.

“We’re working with partners across the industry to deliver a new generation of Windows phones that break down the barriers between people, information and applications and provide great end-to-end experiences that span your entire life, at work and at home.”

A number of those partners are expected to showcase their handsets today as part of the OS launch. At the same time, Microsoft will also be officially open the doors to its App Store rival, Windows Marketplace.

What is Windows Phone?

It’s Windows Mobile by any other name, back with a new name and an even newer image.

The new OS boasts an enhanced, easy-to-use interface, with beefed up browsing capabilities and one-stop access to a range of Microsoft communications tools such as Bing, Mobile Office, Communicator and Windows Live among others.

When does it arrive on the scene?

Microsoft officially takes the wraps off the new OS today, as part of a worldwide launch it has been gearing up towards for some time.

What devices will it be available on?

A number of device manufacturers have already pledged their support for the new OS, although just how big that list is won’t be clear until later today, following a press conference at the launch so stay tuned.

At the time of publication, European support for the new OS included Orange, Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone, in addition to hardware vendors Acer, HTC, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and Toshiba.

Any other features of note?

One of the key features of Windows Phone that will be of benefit to both consumers and businesses is the My Phone tool.

Using this feature, users can back up and manage the items that matter to them on their phone, whether that is pictures, texts or other data. If the phone is lost or stolen, that information doesn’t get lost or stolen with the device, meaning it can easily be restored to a new handset.

US users luck out compared to mobile fans here, at least initially as they’ll get a My Phone premium package that adds a few more bells and whistles to the offering.

Microsoft has confirmed European users will get the package too, although it hasn’t said exactly when yet. When it hits these shores, we’ll benefit from:

• The ability to locate a phone’s location on a map
  Remotely lock a phone
  Post an ‘if found’ message on the phone’s screen
  Wipe data to secure it from authorised access

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