Mindy Mount talked to investors in Citigroup's Global Technology Conference in New York today, Tuesday about the long gone Zune Phone. After many-many rumors about it in the past, Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO, said in a forum in April that its not a concept we are going to see from Microsoft . That was the last time we ever heard anything about Zune Phone from Microsoft executives until today. Maybe Mount's statement is not that different than Ballmer's but it shows Microsoft keeps planing to enter the Mobile Phone devices market.

From ZDnet : 

[...] Mount acknowledged that Windows Mobile “has come from an enterprise place,” but may need more of a graphical treatment like the iPhone has. “Clearly we do identify Mobile being more integrated with photos and music. It’s a natural thing to have in our product roadmap,” said Mount.

As for handsets, there are no immediate plans for Microsoft to get in the game, but there may be a need in the future. And the precedent is set since Zune’s software, hardware and services are integrated and ditto for the Xbox.

For now though Windows Mobile gets the focus. [...]

Mount also denied to comment on the rumors that Microsoft was thinking to buy RIM, the Blackberry's service provide, but she said the current Microsoft's business model with Windows Mobile works fine:

"What I would ask people is what (RIM) really gets you. A lot of their money is coming from the hardware business and they are going after a very particular segment."

Zune for Mount was not a very good "student" as she would give it a B- :

"We all feel that last year was a good, solid effort for first year. I’d give it a B-. Some things were really great."

Lets hope the new Zune versions will get somewhere in the "A" range!

[via ZDnet, Reuters , Washington Post ]