As search services on mobile devices take the center stage at the ongoing 3GSM (News - Alert) World Congress, Microsoft has decided to add its own color to the show by unveiling three new Windows Live services, including “Live Search for Windows Mobile,” “Live Search for Java” and “Windows Live for Windows Mobile.”

While the first two services offer advanced local search and mapping, “Windows Live for Windows Mobile” can be used for email, messaging, and search.

According to the company, the Live Search client applications facilitate easy and fast searching of local listings and maps for the users. In addition to this, Microsoft (News - Alert) is also introducing some new features in a bid to capture the customers. For example, the category-based search option removes the necessity of keying in the text in the mobile. There is also an option called "map all results" which groups several listings on same map, aerial imagery and local traffic status. This service is currently available only in selected U.S. cities. Live Search for Windows Mobile also includes GPS integration, satellite imagery and a facility to send search results to another device.

Based on location, users can also perform search operations based on categories such as restaurants, hotels and accommodations and shopping. The services provide easy options to find locations that include address and telephone details. Users can also store various search results such as map directions to or from, map all locations, or search nearby. Other services like placing a phone call or save to contacts are also available.

Another unique service offered by Microsoft is to supply real-time traffic data in more than 25 U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Green, red and yellow signals are displayed on the local maps to indicate the traffic level in a specific area.

The new Live Search applications are available to the users of Windows Mobile devices, the Motorola RAZR/SLVR family, Nokia Series 40 and Series 60 devices and assorted LG and Samsung (News - Alert) devices. Those who are using Windows Live for Windows Mobile will get additional services such as Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Mail and Live Search and Windows Live Spaces, which works well with Windows Mobile software.

Using the live messenger, one can send messages via voice, as well as text, share files based on a presence-enabled contact lists, and join multi-party chats. If you are using Live Mail, it manages both Windows Live Mail and Hotmail accounts and automatically sends email to the mobile device. With Live Spaces, one can use Microsoft’s global blogging and photo services in one’s mobile device by accessing the links to other users’ spaces within contact cards. The user can also send photos, videos and other files directly to other spaces from his/her mobile device.

For ISVs (independent software vendors), Microsoft offers a “robust partner and developer program” that helps them to create applications for the Windows Live platform. According to Microsoft, its developer program supports ISVs’ efforts to develop Windows Live mobile applications for Windows Mobile, Symbian, Java and Palm devices. It allows the ISVs to achieve these with its SDKs (software development kits).

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Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.