What do you get for your Windows License?

The blogosphere is agape with articles today mocking Microsoft’s decision to keep licensing fees intact for its Windows Mobile operating system. With Nokia’s Symbian now available for free, as is Google’s Android platform, Microsoft must not be competing, right?

Well, it turns out you kind of need money in order to pay programmers to develop good software. So that’s where licensing fees come in.
WMPowerUser has a nice list of some things you get from Windows Mobile, that you won’t get from Symbian or Android. (I’ll add a couple more)

Built-in Exchange push e-mail support.
Support for server-side remote device management, application deployment
and device policy management.
Support for full device encryption (including external memory cards).
Free sync with Windows Live Hotmail and Live Contacts.
Windows Live Search.
Live Messenger IM Client with file/photo sharing and voice clips.
Software for simple Internet Sharing via USB or Bluetooth.
Office files reading and editing.
A pretty good e-mail application with built-in smart filtering search
and Exchange server search capabilities
A pretty good bluetooth stack.
Access to 18000 + applications already out in the market.
Support by carriers and a wide developer community.
Security certification by recognized accreditation bodies.
Automatic TV show syncing via Windows Media Center
Remote Desktop client
Voice Command for controlling phone, applications, media player
Text to Speech for announcing caller ID, appointments, text
messages, emails
Access to a wide variety of GPS Navigation software
Indemnification for the technology used.