Microsoft’s acquisition of Sidekick-developer Danger - which it first announced back in February - has finally reached completion, according to an announcement today.  The company will now be consumed by Microsoft’s Premium Mobile Experiences (PMX) team, situated within the Mobile Communications Business (MCB) and responsible for making Microsoft’s mobile devices - particularly their cellphones - more palatable to individual consumers.  Danger co-founders Matt Hershenson and Joe Britt will both take up positions under PMX VP Rox Ho, and the company’s staff will continue to work from their existing offices.

“We imagine a mobile experience that embraces sharing and celebrating relationships and personal moments.  Combining Danger and Microsoft talents together in the Premium Mobile Experiences team is how we’re going to deliver cool, new, fun mobile experiences to consumers. We want people to smile every time they look at their phone” Roz Ho, corporate vice president of Premium Mobile Experiences, Danger

Danger’s key strength was in making a handset straightforward enough for young users while simultaneously capable enough for adult users to appreciate.  Devices were a relatively early example of the “dumb phone” model, with a constant backup of the handset’s contents on a remote server.  That meant, if ever the Sidekick was lost, a replacement could be immediately brought up to date with the user’s latest information.

“As we combine our team and technologies with Microsoft, we see a clear path to evolving that [easy-to-use and fun] experience and delivering it to an even broader group of consumers” Matt Hershenson, Danger co-founder

Ironically, the news comes shortly after I suggested that Microsoft might buy in some GUI and interface expertise to increase the acceptability of Windows Mobile in the face of devices such as the iPhone.  While at the time I suggested the existing WM skin developers behind Point UI, Danger’s experience with a local handset/remote server model could be seen as the consumer version of Microsoft’s Exchange system.  Considering the developing demands of the consumer market, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a Danger-led multimedia handset, built around a Windows Mobile core but with a home-user version of hosted server backup and messaging, announced soon.