Tata DoCoMo, the global system for mobile communication (GSM) brand of Tata Teleservices, is

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deepening its relationship with the smartphone business. On Wednesday, it announced it has entered into a long-term partnership with Microsoft India to offer next-generation telecom products and services. Only recently it had announced the introduction of BlackBerry service on its platform.

In the short term, the partnership will involve promotion of new Windows phones --Acer Be Touch E101 and Acer Neo Touch S200 -- powered by Windows Mobile 6.5. Microsoft has introduced these smartphones in order to take on Apple's iPhone and Google's Android system. Tata Teleservices managing director Anil Sardana, while addressing the press, said today's times called for high-end offerings. "The customer has become very demanding," he said.

Windows phones come with two new services -- My Phone, an in-built, free service that offers 200 MB of online storage to back up all contacts and phone information, and Windows Marketplace through which consumers can purchase high-quality mobile applications. With a similar user interface as a PC or a laptop, a Windows phone helps consumers transit between home and work.

Sardana said while Tata DoCoMo was the first to tieup with Microsoft on the Windows Mobile platform, the US-based company was free to choose other networks later. "It's not an exclusive contract," he said.

Tata DoCoMo, through this tie-up, is launching the Windows phones, which features Windows Mobile 6.5, in all circles where it has kicked off its GSM services, with an offer of 500 MB of free downloads per month, for a period of six months. Microsoft India chairman Ravi Venkatesan said, "My Phone is a free service that helps people manage and protect information stored on their mobile phones, providing an easy restore option if the device is lost or damaged. Losing information stored in a mobile phone is such a traumatic experience as we all know."

The new Windows phones also come with a redesigned Windows Internet Explorer Mobile browser with built-in Adobe Flash.