Microsoft Corp. today announced the acquisition of Danger Inc., the company behind the HipTop aka Sidekick.

With the acquisition of Danger, Microsoft will benefit from the company's nearly 10 years of expertise with mobile consumers. The Palo Alto, Calif. based company provides services that allow people to keep in touch, stay organized and keep informed while on the go through real-time mobile messaging, social networking services, Web browsing and personal information management applications. Combining these services with Microsoft's connected entertainment and mobile technologies will provide Microsoft with the tools to accelerate its work to create industry-leading entertainment and communication experiences for consumers.

So, Microsoft officially enters the mobile phone hardware business as it seems. Here we go again. After no consumer electronics maker could handle the Apple iPod, Microsoft started to make Zune players. Now it seems Microsoft is trying to move faster against the imminent iPhone smartphone dominance.
Via the Microsoft site.

The Mobile World Congress 2008 (former 3GSM) will open officially on the 11th of February. We will keep you updated on all interesting mobile technology announcements at the MWC 2008 in our Mobile Phone section.