Motorola (NYSE: MOT) rolled out a new enterprise smartphone, the ES400 enterprise digital assistant, on Thursday which will resemble devices designed for consumers but will come with greater robustness, durability and security. It will run on a new Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) operating system, called Windows Embedded Handheld. While it probably wouldn't remain intact if run over by a tank, it would survive a four-feet fall and some rain.

The EDS ES400 comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera that also scans, a 3-inch touchscreen and a biometric fingerprint reader, according to Al Sacco at CIO. Sacco provided details on these and seven other features of the new phone.

The new handset and new OS from Microsoft illustrate vendors' ongoing initiatives to make the smartphone a more useful and reliable tool for the enterprise. Next year, Microsoft plans to launch a new version of Windows Phone 7 specifically for enterprise use.  

The newest mobile OS out of Redmond, Windows Embedded Handheld, can be thought of as "an update to Windows Mobile 6.5 for business applications," wrote CNET's Ina Fried. "In that sense, today's announcement is good news for businesses that rely on ruggedized Windows Mobile 6.5 devices, as there will be a new crop of devices based on updated software."

If you're having trouble keeping up with Microsoft's myriad mobile OS product plans, you aren't alone. Microsoft expert Mary Jo Foley counts six at this time. 

"What's with the multiplying Microsoft mobile OS SKUs? Wouldn't just one or two choices result in less PC maker and customer confusion?" Foley wrote in a post at ZDNet. "On the mobile front, it seems the thinking in Redmond is that more specialization and more choices will give mobile device makers more options."

For a clear look at all the options, Foley diagramed the six Microsoft mobile operating systems, the devices they run and their availability dates.

For more:
- see Ina Fried's post at CNET
- see Al Sacco's post at CIO
- see Mary Jo Foley's post at ZDNet

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