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Microsoft gained additonal support for its smartphone platform with the announcement today by Sierra Wireless that it is entering the smartphone market. Sierra Wireless' new line of Voq phones will feature Microsoft Windows Mobile software for Smartphones. Last month, Motorola also announced plans to offer a smartphone, the MPx200, based on Microsoft's operating system.

Siierra Wireless, mainly known for its wireless AirCard PC Cards for laptops, has plenty of experience in the mobile market. The company said it hopes to leverage that experience and its existing network of wireless operators and corporate technology channels when it launches the Voq phones sometime during the first quarter of 2004.The potentially lucrative smartphone market is expected to grow dramatically over the next few years.

The Voq phones are slated to include not only a standard phone keypad, but also a flip open QWERTY keyboard that makes the thumb keyboard twice as wide as the width of the phone. It also has a 200MHz Intel PXA262 processor with stacked flash memory. Other features include 32MB of memory with 16MB available to the user, 48MB of flash memory, a Secure Digital slot, and a 220 x 176 resolution display.

The initial model will run on GSM/GPRS networks. Sierra Wireless is also touting secure email for the devices. It said its email solution requires no desktop redirector or dedicated server with support for standard enterprise email systems including Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, and Novell Groupwise.

Siierra Wireless’ entry into the smartphone market is good news for Microsoft, the dominant player in the desktop market and a strong competitor in PDAs, as it has made little impact when it comes to converged mobile devices. The smartphone market is dominated by the Symbian, a consortium of mobile phone companies, and the Symbian operating system.

Phones running the Symbian OS include those from Nokia, who's Series 60 platform is built on top of the Symbian OS, and Sony Ericsson with its P800 Smartphone. Other smartphone players include PalmSource and the Palm OS with devices from vendors like Samsung, Handspring (soon to be a part of PalmOne) and Kycoera, as well as Research In Motion with its Blackberry handhelds, some of which gained mobile phone features during the last year.