At present, the market is dominated by Apple, the firm responsible for the iPhone, and Android, the operating system devised by designers at Google.
Microsoft, by contrast, has been slow to capitalise on the increasing popularity of wireless communication devices.
However, with the launch of its Mango operating system, Microsoft finally appears ready to take up the challenge.
In an interview with Reuters, Andrew Lees, president of Microsoft's Windows phone division, confirmed that the US, Europe and China are the firm's top markets for handsets based on the Mango operating system.
"As the price comes down, emerging markets do become a huge opportunity, but also the existing markets in western Europe and the US, because as the price point comes down, more people will get into the smartphone market," he commented.
Posted by Andre Dixon
