This is one of the most significant announcement that has been made by Microsoft in recent times. A few hours ago Microsoft announced the availability of Windows Phone Series 7 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Windows 7 series facilitates different users experience via Windows Phone hubs, which bring together related content from the web, applications, and services all into a single view, allowing you to simplify common tasks.

Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer of Microsoft’s Corp states that “Today, I’m proud to introduce Windows Phone 7 Series, the next generation of Windows Phones. In a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things, I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience. Windows Phone 7 Series marks a turning point toward phones that truly reflect the speed of people’s lives and their need to connect to other people and all kinds of seamless experiences.”

The OS includes six hubs that are built on specific themes that reflect various important activities to people, such as:

Games: The official Xbox LIVE experience that we’ll all been waiting for. It includes Xbox LIVE games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer’s avatar, Achievements, and gamer profile.

Pictures: Easily share your pictures and videos on your social network. It’ll bring together your photos by integrating the Web and PC.

Music & Video: Bringing together the Zune media experience, including the content from the PC, online music services and built-in FM radio all in one place. The experience can even become a social one with Zune Social on your PC.

People: The increasingly popular social experience, which brings together relevant content based on the user, such as live feeds from social networks and photos. It also allows you to post updates to Facebook and Windows Live easily.

Office: With access to Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace, this opens up the potential to turn your phone into a mobile workhorse.

Marketplace: To satisfy your app hunger, by offering you certified applications and games.

Despite all this, Windows Phone 7 Series is what we had all been waiting for from Microsoft. Apple remained stubborn for 3 years on various aspects, and it’ll be great to see their monopoly and closed system getting great competition from Microsoft. Gizmodo has a great conclusion on all this:

“History is on Microsoft’s side here—we know what happened the last time Apple had a massive head start. Microsoft is, if nothing else, incredibly patient. Remember the first Xbox? Back when it was crazy that Microsoft was getting into videogames? It’s cost them about a billion dollars and taken nearly 10 years, but now, with Xbox Live, Project Natal and their massive software ecosystem, they arguably have the most impressive gaming console you can buy. That was a pet project. Now, mobile is the future of computing. What do you think Microsoft will sink into that?
The mobile picture is now officially a three-way dance: Apple, Google, and Microsoft. The same people who dominate desktop computing. Everybody else is screwed. Former Palm CEO Ed Colligan famously said a few years ago: “PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.” That’s precisely what’s just happened. Phones are the new PCs. PC guys are the new phone guys.