Microsoft, AT&T And The Windows Phone 7 'Premier' Partner Dance

Despite AT&T's repeated assertions that it will be the "premier" carrier partner for Windows Phone 7, Microsoft says AT&T is one of many partners it's working with on the launch.

This is odd, since AT&T appears to be operating under the belief that it enjoys some sort of special status with Windows Phone 7. When Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 7 in February at the Mobile World Congress, AT&T crowed about its long history of selling Windows Mobile devices and expressed its excitement with the new OS.

"We're super-proud to have been the first operator to launch Windows Mobile back in 2003, and we're thrilled to be the premier partner for the launch of Windows Phone 7 Series in the U.S.," David Christopher, chief marketing officer for AT&T Mobility and Customer Markets, said at MWC.

AT&T is still claiming to be the premier carrier for Windows Phone 7, but it's not offering any insight as to what benefits this status entails. "We haven’t provided any details other than that we’ll be the premier carrier for Windows Phone 7," an AT&T spokesperson said Wednesday in an email.

When AT&T first played the premier card at MWC, Microsoft quietly denied having given AT&T that designation. Instead, Microsoft suggested that AT&T and Orange would have the opportunity to differentiate their Windows Phone 7 offerings.

"We're working with them side by side so that they can provide their differentiation through unique software and services on their networks," Andy Lees, senior vice president of Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business, said at MWC.

This time around, Microsoft isn't shining any additional light on the situation. "We’re working closely with AT&T and a variety of other partners to bring Windows Phone 7 to market this holiday," a Microsoft spokesperson told CRN in an email.

So what can we read into this coquettish dancing? Allen Nogee, an analyst with In-Stat in Scottsdale, Ariz., sees it as the strongest indication yet that AT&T is concerned about the future of iPhone exclusivity.

"It’s a bit like when your best-friend starts telling other people he/she has a new best-friend. What does that say about the relationship the two of you currently have?" Nogee said. "It looks like Windows Phone 7 will be AT&T's new BFF."

Another view if that AT&T is merely using its status as a Windows Mobile pioneer as a competitive advantage from a marketing standpoint.

"AT&T is just hoping Windows Phone 7 will be a big hit, and they're positioning themselves as a leader if Windows Phone 7 is a success," said Quy Nguyen, CEO of Allyance Communications, a telecommunications and hosting solution provider in Irvine, Calif.

The problem for Microsoft is that some people are going to interpret "premier" status as the same exclusive arrangement AT&T has with Apple for the iPhone. Of course, that deal has been a double edged sword for AT&T, driving profits but also exposed the carrier to the heat of subscriber anger.

"It's a risky move on AT&T's part, but if you look at the number of companies that are already using the Windows platform, and the ease of deployment they're going to have with Windows Phone 7, it's not a bad bet," said Nguyen.