Microsoft needs to gain traction with latest Windows Phone
Apr 9, 2012, 5:42 PM | Updated: 6:53 pm
Is it Microsoft’s last, best chance to become a player in the mobile phone market? Some analysts say the company’s much ballyhooed launch of the new Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone over the weekend is a make or break moment for the company’s future.
“It’s very important because mobile is the focus of the tech industry these days, everything comes out of mobile,” said Todd Bishop with Seattle-based GeekWire.
Microsoft has lagged far behind the iPhone and Android despite numerous efforts to gain traction with its Windows Phone platform.
The phone is getting strong reviews from consumers and reviewers alike, many of whom are praising its speed and interface; and it’s getting a big boost from a major marketing initiative launched in conjunction with AT&T.
“If they can gain traction with the Lumia 900 they’re actually going to stand a chance to be the number 3 phone company,” says Bishop.
While Microsoft and Nokia are working hard to convince iPhone and Android users to switch to the Windows Phone platform, Bishop says in the short term, at least, that’s a lost cause.
Microsoft is touting over 80,000 apps for Windows Phone, but it’s missing some of the big ones. For example, the blockbuster new game Angry Birds: Space isn’t available yet for Windows Phone.
Bishop says the biggest opportunity for Microsoft to make its mark is with consumers who have never bought a smartphone before.
“There is still a substantial proportion of the population that is using a good old fashioned cell phone.”
Microsoft and Nokia aren’t going down without a fight. The companies are investing millions, with the duo announcing just last week they will spend $24 million on research and development in the near future.
Bishop calls it critical.
“If Microsoft does not have a credible product in the mobile market it really erodes the foundation of everything else it’s doing.”
