Software giant, Microsoft is increasing focusing on its smartphone platform and is working on release new editions to take on rivals including Google Android and Apple iOS.

The company is aiming to capture at least 20 per cent of the New Zealand smartphone market within three years. Microsoft New Zealand's Windows Phone business manager Mark Bishop pointed out that the country will have about 690,000 smartphones by 2013 and the company could achieve 20 per cent share of the market.

The company has also showcased next update of the Windows Phone 7 smartphone platform, codenamed Mango and also announced a new lineup of handset partners at an event. The Windows Phone 7 has been available in the country from more than six months but is yet to attract a great number of users.

The new version of the company’s platform is expected to bring all the company's brands and products together in a seamless manner. The company has been trying to integrate all of its major products to allow customers to easily access different services. Windows Phone is now aiming to bring together Internet Explorer, Bing, Office and Xbox, all on a single device.

The search engine Bing and Web browser Internet Explorer are integrated with mobile apps in Mango. The contacts directory integrates with Facebook chats, Twitter, LinkedIn, Windows Live instant messaging, voice mail and email. The users will also be able to perform Bing searches through the phone's camera, by voice or by musical sound.