Zune Thoughts: Microsoft Job Posting Hints at New Zune Platforms

"Microsoft has recently posted some interesting job listings that lend themselves to (unconfirmed but solid) speculation. Their acquisition of European mobile music provider Musiwave last year just deepens the mystery... Now, a web services development job listing proclaims "Zune Services is building an entertainment store for a wide range of Zune clients or 'tuners.' Today these tuners include the Windows PC client, the Zune web site and the Zune device; in the future there will be more. Each of these tuners access a set of rich web services implemented by Zune and soon by Musiwave as well." The combination of Musiwave and Zune suggests some sort of mobile Marketplace, whether it's through phones or simply over-the-air to Zunes. Microsoft did note at the time of their absorption of Musiwave that the European company would help them arrange a better ecosystem of products and devices. Could this mean Zune on Windows Mobile? Another listing asks for a user experience designer to focus on a few aspects of the Zune: device UI, Zune PC client, and then a surprise, Zune Xbox. There's no other information, but we think it'd be a pretty good idea to incorporate the Zune Marketplace into the successful Xbox environment. Imagine, Microsoft integration as far as the eye can see. This is, of course, rumor and conjecture, but those job listings are certainly eyebrow-raising indicators of what's to come from the big MS."

Is this the connected experience we've heard trumpeted since November 2006? I'd love to seamlessly access my music library from my computer, my Zune, Xbox and phone all through the Zune service, and I have a feeling that Microsoft is fully capable of doing this. Whether or not they will is entirely up-in-the-air, but it's good to see they're moving towards a better connected ecosystem.