Microsoft made a number of big announcements today at Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, none of which were particularly unexpected.  In addition to the preview of Windows Mobile 6.5 which we showed your earlier, they also announced today that the name of your phone will be officially changing to Windows Phone.  They further announced two new services for Windows Phone 6.5: My Phone and Recite.  Hit the jump for what few details we have.

First, Microsoft made official the name change from Windows Mobile to Windows Phone.   This name change is expected to reflect a changing strategy for Microsoft in the mobile arena, focusing more on the user experience and how the user gets to their information.  It also eliminates a redundant naming of Windows Mobile Phone.

Personally, I am really happy to see this shift in strategy.  I have always said that my phone should give me access to the applications and functions which I use the most, not the ones which Microsoft or HTC thinks I should find most useful.  So, I love this changing paradigm and cannot wait to see its future implementation.

The other big announcement coming out of Microsoft today was the new My Phone service.  My Phone provides complete backup and restore services to your Windows Phone, including:

• PIM data (if you are not an Exchange user),
• pictures,
• videos
• pretty much any other information on your device

This should be a pretty handy service if you switch to a new phone or if your phone is lost or stolen.  I think it will also be extremely interesting to see how this compares with some of the other online backup systems, such as Dashwire, which are currently available.  My Phone is currently available in a very limited beta program but owners are encouraged to enroll at http://myphone.microsoft.com

Finally, Microsoft announced a technology preview of their new voice notes recording applications, Microsoft Recite.  Recite is the latest offering from Microsoft Labs, and will allow you to record voice notes and then tag them with keywords so they can be easily found and searched later.  Check it out by downloading it to your Windows Phone (but be sure to check the compatibility list as it will only work with a limited number of phones.)

[via Clinton Fitch(dot) com.]

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