In an interview with IDG News Service during the San Diego CTIA conference, Andy Lees, Microsoft's Senior VP of mobile communications, confirmed that the company intends releasing 'hardware reference designs' to facilitate the handset-makers' use of Windows Mobile.

Giving an implicit indication that Microsoft intends enhancing its mobile market performance by replicating reference design process from the PC industry, Lees elaborated that the designs would delineate the way in which different components of a phone can work in conjunction, thereby freeing the hardware makers of the task of developing the component-integration of their own.

Lees specified: "Our goal is to enable maximum choice but in a way that adds an element of structure so that everybody can do their own thing somewhat independently. It (the reference design) offers them a higher baseline upon which they can innovate. It means it is significantly faster and cheaper for more innovations to come out to market from the OEMs."

Though Lees stopped short of detailing what the reference designs might look like, he drew a parallel with reference designs for PCs, adding that such designs help manufacturers build to defined specifications, along with giving them sufficient leeway to differentiate their products.

Lees also said that while Microsoft projects improved handsets in the future, it is as hopeful that more and better applications will be designed for its new application Marketplace.