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Sendo send Microsoft packing: uses Nokia smartphone

Sendo has shocked the Windows world by terminating its agreement with Microsoft to licence its Smartphone design - and Nokia has coincidentally announced that Sendo has signed up to licence the rival Series 60 - a Symbian design - instead.

The thunderbolt came in a statement from Hugh Brogan, Chief Executive Officer of Sendo: "Earlier this fall we reviewed our smart phone strategy. While our mission of providing customers with feature-rich and ubiquitous devices remains unaltered, seeing that the Series 60 fully embraces both our mission and the new strategy we decided to approach Nokia," he said.

Exactly what caused the split, isn't clear. Inside sources denied that Java was a leading issue; however, there were difficulties, according to sources inside Nokia, with Sendo's insistence on providing its Z100 model with Java. Brogan's statement praised the Nokia Series 60: "The platform utilises open standards and technologies, such as MMS and Java(TM), jointly developed by the industry. The platform is robust, yet uniquely flexible, bringing great benefits to licensees, operators, developers and consumers."

The Smartphone bombshell risks distracting attention from Microsoft's launch of the Tablet PC today; the Sendo design was always seen as the best of the four pioneering SmartPhone franchises, compared with the HTC-built Orange SPV, and the still-unlaunched Samsung and Compell designs. Dozens of production-level samples have been produced already, and a deal was near completion to sell the phone through T-Mobile world-wide.

Exactly what will happen to the Z100, still isn't clear, either.

Sendo's official statement said, baldly: "Sendo has terminated its Smartphone development program(s) utilising Microsoft Windows for Smartphone 2002 Software."

Nokia was rather more verbose: "We welcome Sendo, a pioneer in smart phone development, to join our Series 60 community," said Niklas Savander, Vice President and General Manager, Nokia Mobile Software. "We see that a combination of Sendo's technical expertise and growing market presence will bring significant contribution to the mobile market with Series 60 devices. Interoperable solutions that are built on open and common industry standards are proving to be the winning formula in meeting demands of business users and consumers alike," he concluded.

The sight of Sendo and Nokia collaborating is almost more astonishing than the sight of Microsoft falling out with its most-prized franchisee. However, the decision appears irrevocable, and hints say that the Z100 itself may be a casualty. If the plug is totally pulled, then the Z100 appears to be another museum-piece collectable - of which there are many in the mobile phone business.

Insiders are astonished; it is only two weeks since Sendo had pride of place beside HTC at the launch of the Orange SPV phone, and the only question over the Z100 was whether it might launch before the Christmas season.