Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer speaks during a news conference at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 16, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Microsoft also announced that South Korea's LG Electronics, world's third-largest mobile handset maker, has agreed to make Windows the primary operating system for its smartphones and will tenfold increase the number of its products using the Windows system from 2008 to 2009.

The agreement may result in more than 50 new LG phones running Windows system in the coming years, Microsoft said.

According to the company, mobile operator Orange and handset maker HTC also make further commitments to use Microsoft's latest Mobile operating system in their new products.

Touch Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2, the two new phones launched by HTC, will be upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.5, Microsoft said.

In a separate announcement on Monday, Hewlett-Packard (HP), the world's largest personal computer maker, also threw its support for Microsoft's new mobile operating system.

HP plans to offer smartphones using Windows Mobile 6.5, it said in a statement.

However, as the new operating system won't be available for consumers until the end of 2009, it may just be too late for Microsoft to gain stronghold on the market, some analysts said.

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Editor:Yang Jie