Global Success of Smartphones may Push Windows Mobile Sales

Popularity of smartphones around the world is not a secret, but when it comes to operating systems, end-users have at least three platforms to choose from, Windows Mobile, Linux, Symbian and Google will soon enter into competition with its Android OS. Because of the increasing numbers of smartphones sold globally, Microsoft estimates Windows Mobile sales will boost around 50% within each of the two following years.   According to this growth projection, Microsoft could be selling about 40 million of copies of Windows Mobile Operating System if we consider sales of around 20 million copies during the present year. Another contributor factor pushing Microsoft’s sales is the upcoming release of Windows Mobile 7 within the same time frame.

Even though observers predict a great response to Linux as popular smartphones’ operating system after Google release its Linux-based Android Operating System, still under development. There are actually smartphones that come with Linux from factory or after their users unlock their actual handsets to install the Linux already available online for free.

Microsoft, however, is backed for some of the giants in mobile telephony, including Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, HTC and Asus, a computer hardware and electronics Taiwanese company listed in both the Taiwan Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange. Are these big names enough propelling Windows Mobile as the world’s favorite mobile operating system?

The answer is probably no, because apart of traditional Symbian and menacing Linux, there are two popular smartphones which are packed with their own technology and corresponding operating systems: Blackberry and Apple’s iPhone, which are powerful rivals to Microsoft in the software field.

After people having problems upgrading Windows Mobile 5 to version 6, Apple is confident that more people will be willing to try its operating system attracted by iPhone’s slick design, easy setup and Internet-enabled multimedia features. Blackberry, on the other hand, is confident on its marketing strategy and slogans. These competitors have been heavy weight rivals to both Windows Mobile and Microsoft’s Zune media player.

Eddie Wu, Microsoft’s managing director of OEM embedded devices Asia, told Reuters “We’re actually still seeing very good growth (for our mobile software) in markets like Europe and the United States.” Moreover, during his conference in Taipei, Wu made clear that Windows Mobile’s market is growing fast in emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, the Middle East, India, and Asia.

“The overall direction of the market is dramatically higher, and Microsoft is riding that wave very well in key markets,” said Gartner’s analyst Todd Kort to the E-Commerce Times in relation to Windows Mobile as an operating working well on touchscreen devices.   You may agree with the idea of moving from your traditional cell phone to a more powerful handset as your communication, surfing and productivity needs may change since the time you got it. Such needs and mobile technology seems to be growing at similar rates so it is not strange see how smartphones have succeed as first choice of people with no so tight budgets, whether they come with Windows Mobile or any other Operating System, thus Microsoft need to increase its presence on this market.  Source: Reuters

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 12:58 am and is filed under Gadget Review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.