Windows Phone Thoughts: RIM to Bid Farewell to Enterprise Dominance in the Face of Windows Phone 7?

"Last week I stated 'After Getting a Glimpse of the New Windows Phone 7 Functionality, RIMM is Looking More Like a Short Play'. I meant it, for the Windows Mobile offering looks to be quite compelling from a usability and capability perspective. This is an optimal time to be a smart phone consumer/user, for the competition in this field is red hot and the technology is available to make the competition into something that increases the productivity of the enterprise and consumer alike, not to mention transforming the entertainment and media landscapes, yet again."

It's never a good start to an article when the headline ("Windows Mobile 7 Spells The End Of The BlackBerry's Enterprise Dominance") doesn't even get the product name right - It's "Windows Phone 7." But, let's give author Reggie Middleton the benefit of the doubt. Microsoft has changed mobile brand names more than a few times over the past decade, and it can get confusing.

What I find a bit harder to believe, though, are some of his concepts; while it's true that Windows Phone 7 has some interesting advantages with SharePointe integration, and I believe still the best Exchange ActiveSync solution today, its unique user interface and highly consumer-centric approach don't really tend to lend themselves to the business world. And let's not forget that Microsoft has its own enterprise-specific slant on Windows Phone that will take shape over the next year. I also tend to think that the author discounts RIM's consumer appeal; I know people who I'd never guess would own a Blackberry, but because of aggressive wireless carrier advertising and discounts, bought one. Sometimes it's less about the phone and more about how it's promoted and positioned.

What do you think? Will Windows Phone 7 eat into RIM's market in the Enterprise?