While the Windows Phone is at the number two
position (behind Android) in some markets that Apple has not cared to target
aggressively, Microsoft has not tasted big success in the mobile market. Tech
pundits have given good reviews about Microsoft’s latest mobile operating
system, but it has always seemed that Bill Gates came to the smart mobile party
a little too late. As Apple and Android dominate the global mobile market with
over 90% of market share, the chances of a third player entering the field and
competing with these two mobile giants have gotten slimmer and slimmer.
A Quick Glance
at Nokia & Microsoft’s Relationship
When Nokia threw its lot with Microsoft and started
manufacturing smartphones that run the Windows 7 and 8, many felt that it was a
suicidal move. Samsung, one of Nokia’s biggest competitors in the mobile manufacturing,
choose Android OS to run its best mobiles and emerged as one of the biggest
forces in the mobile market. Nokia was unable to accomplish similar goals using
Windows operating system: it dumped Symbian and used Windows 7 operating system
for all its top-tier handsets, but was unable to compete with the iPhone or
Android devices.
Just a few years back Nokia was respected as the
most powerful mobile manufacturer; today, it is not even one of the top three
mobile manufactures. Microsoft too suffered from the fact that none of the
mobile manufacturers using its operating system could come up with a series of
successful handsets. Technology experts and bloggers have expressed one idea
since a long time: Microsoft and Nokia are a good fit and by closely partnering
with each other, they can emerge as a force to reckon with. By preparing to buy
Nokia’s mobile unit, Microsoft has done what many hoped that it would.
Has Microsoft
found the Missing Piece of the Mobile Puzzle?
In a purchase that is set to complete by 2014,
Microsoft has agreed to buy Nokia’s mobile unit, and it will also buy Nokia’s patents
and mapping services in a non-exclusive agreement. The company will pay $ 7.2
billion in cash. The deal is a lifesaver for Nokia, a company that is steadily
falling behind its competitors Samsung and Apple. It can also help rejuvenate
Microsoft’s mobile image and help the company manufacture flagship mobile handsets
that are specifically created for Windows 8.
While Apple has the iPhone and Android has Samsung’s
popular devices that can showcase the best features of the mobile operating
system and attract customers, Microsoft doesn’t yet have such a hit device for Windows
7 or 8. While people have not dumped PCs or Windows, Microsoft needs to find
its way in a world where people are spending less time on PCs and more time on
tablets and smartphones. With this deal, Microsoft doesn’t just get the
capability to manufacture mobile, but also gets the skills and patents to
create a slew of innovative devices that can help its mobile operating system
find its feet in a competitive market.
Through the deal with Nokia, Microsoft has all the
ingredients that go on into the making of a powerful and effective smartphone
ecosystem: a well-conceptualized mobile operating system, devices that are specifically
made for the operating system and an app store. Only time will tell if
Microsoft has found the missing piece of the puzzle, but if you are a mobile
app owner or a developer, the possibility of a third player giving competition
to the existing market leaders is exciting.
Impact on
Mobile App Development
Microsoft is the only company that has the
wherewithal and background to compete with Apple and Android. Nokia still has a
huge fan-following in emerging smartphone markets like India, and this will
empower Windows 7 and 8 phones to conquer huge chunks of such markets. Just as
Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility patents enabled the search giant to manufacture
its own devices and safeguarded the future of its operating system, Microsoft’s
acquisition of Nokia’s mobile unit will help the company compete more aggressively
in the mobile market.
It is notoriously difficult to foretell future in
the dynamic mobile market, but the news indicate that Microsoft is going to do
all it can to thrive in the world of smart mobiles. We can expect to see a
surge in the number of developers building mobile apps for Windows. Also, if
the Windows Phone OS gets a bigger market share over the next two years (and it
is likely that we will see at least some rise), developers who build apps only
for Apple and Android will start building apps for Microsoft as well.
Ready for a
Resurgent Windows Phone Operating System?
In the current scenario, most businesses and
developers are either building only Apple apps, or they build app for Android
and Apple. If Microsoft succeeds in becoming the third player in the mobile
market, apps that are already popular on its app store will be the biggest
winners. By creating an innovative application Windows Phone OS now, or by creating
a Windows Phone version of your existing app, you can profit from a world that
has three major mobile operating systems.
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