Windows Phone 8 for Enterprises, Consumers: Microsoft Wants Both
“Smart phone users today don’t know about Windows Phone, and that’s a problem we’re going to fix with Windows Phone 8,” said Charles Thomas Gruhler, technology marketing executive and branding strategist, during a Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2012 (WPC12) keynote today. Here’s the recap.
On the business side, so-called “company hubs” will provide a management server for deploying and managing Windows Phone 8 — a clear focus on mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MDM). Gruhler also mentioned Windows Phone 8 integration with Exchange, Lync, Office, Bing, Skype and SharePhoint — and built-in mobile device management. But can Windows Phone 8 take market share from Apple iPhone and Google Android smart phones? Hmmm… Here’s a minute by minute keynote update.
The keynote got a huge round of applause as Gruhler described a people-first approach to the phone and its customizable tiles. Among the key points:
- “It will be the most modern smart phone platform available anywhere. It will have a shared core with Windows 8.”
- Windows Phone 8 will be the “most integrated platform for the Microsoft family of products.”
- Windows Phone 8 apps are 30 percent easier to develop vs. Android; I didn’t catch the source.
- Intriguing that Microsoft mentioned Android rather than Apple iPhone… perhaps an iPhone mention is coming but it sounds like Microsoft sees Android as the more likely competitive target.
- 81 pecent of CIOs rank Windows Phone as great for business. Again, I didn’t catch the source.
- “It offers buttery smooth performance.”
- Seven of the 10 highest rated consumer devices on Amazon are Windows Phones, he said. “That’s exciting when consumer choice is driving devices.” (That quote begs the question: Do CIO opinions about Windows Phone, which Gruhler mentioned, matter?
- Windows Phone has surpassed 100,000 apps in the marketplace.
- App writers won’t have to publish through the Microsoft marketplace. That means more freedom for developers, partners and customers. But can Microsoft enforce app quality control?
- Apps can live on company servers in so-called “company hubs”
- Windows Phone 8 will be in 50 languages, that’s 25 more than Apple announced in June. (There’s that Apple mention…)
More insights soon.
[…] more at The VAR Guy. Filed Under: […]
When Apple made the iPhone available 5 years ago, they changed the market – and they tried rather hard to change it even more by locking the iPhone to providers. Prices were obscene, no one liked the lock – but they still had significant trouble…. Because the production couldn’t keep up with the demand. Hardly any ads and so on.
When the first Androids popped up, the electronic stores refused to sell them, and the networks wouldn’t make them available either. There was virtually no marketing whatsoever. The Androids first started selling through private or organised grey import (inofficial sales channels). The stores reacted only when the demand from customers skyrocketed. The ads were nowhere to be seen for the first approx 18 months – when the internal competitions between Android OEMs hardened.
The iPhone and Android successes came because they had innovative products that stroke a chord in the consumers. Good alone is not enough – the “IT factor” must be there. In fact – if the “IT factor” is there – one could have success with a mediocre product. The key is that the sales are driven by demand. The ill fated N9 was as far as I’m aware of outselling Lumia through Nokia Q1, and the sales are driven by demand and hardly anything else.
The trouble is that WP7 sales never was driven by demand. It was pushed, and by the look of it – Microsoft intend to sell WP8/W8 by push too. Doesn’t work for personal “emotion oriented” products – iOS and Android users are corporate users too.
In response to Jack,
I must of missed the lack of Android and iPhone advertising because I couldn’t watch TV, Movies, read the news, or go outside without seeing or hearing something about them. On the other hand I haven’t seen a lick of Windows Phone Advertising – I didn’t even know there was a Windows Phone until Windows 8 kept coming up in the news. To be honest, I don’t own a Smart Phone and never went looking for Smart Phones either.
You probably missed Nokia’s New York, Paris and London shows as well then.
The VAR Guy only has one question: How is Microsoft going to convince kids to buy/use Windows Phone 8? Perhaps the answer involves XBox live. Without the kids/college students, Microsoft still faces an uphill battle…
-TVG
One of the (many) big mistakes Microsoft did with WP7 was the limitations wrt hardware which prevented Oems to compete with spec. Kids loves specs. They might not buy the highest spec themselves – but they measure the products by it. Android is not measured by the piles of mediocre devices, it’s measured by Galaxy SIII and its rivals.
To become the alphakids they had to select something other than WP7. To get that position after having failed will be difficult.
Sounds childish – agree, but finding a social position and keep/gain social status is part of growing up, and the tech side is more important than ever – depending on local culture off course.
How Microsoft is going to grab this marked? I have absolutely no idea.
But I know this: In the Nokia aera I couldn’t talk my nieces into anything but Nokias. I offered them superior alternatives and I was going to pay, but no. Only Nokia.
Now, they won’t consider anything but iPhone. What they want next? Have no idea – but I believe Apple must really miss out before they leave Appleworld.