Microsoft’s Grand Invasion Plan: Unity in Diversity!
Rita is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has decided to take the way of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) but with a twist in it when it decided to enter all areas of the electronic devices world. This tech giant was always well known for its software and now it has entered the arena of manufacturing its own devices as well. Not only this, Microsoft is all set to challenge the established players in the mobile OS market. After Apple, Microsoft seems to be the only player whose footprints can be seen in all three universes – Personal Computers, Tablets and Smartphones.
All hail Microsoft!
Microsoft’s very own Windows has been dominating the personal computer OS space for ages and now the company has started making its mark on the smartphone OS universe. Window’s first mobile OS platform, the Windows Phone 7 OS, was first seen in Nokia’s (NYSE: NOK) Lumia range of handsets as well as in Samsung’s Omnia W handsets. And now, Microsoft has announced that it is going to unveil its latest and most advanced mobile OS, the Windows Phone 8, in the fall.
With 100,000 apps and games available to the Windows platform, the chances of Microsoft’s win in the smartphone OS world just became more promising. The company is likely to get a lot more help from the app developers. According to a recent survey by VisionMobile, 57% of the developers are looking towards adopting this new platform very soon.
What Microsoft is trying to do is not just develop a platform for the mobile market. Microsoft’s plan is to develop a world of “Converged devices” as they call it. Entering the mobile phone OS market is just a small piece of the puzzle.
The other pieces of the puzzle
Very recently, Microsoft went public about its range of next generation tablets – Surface. With this move, Microsoft entered the most talked about tablets market. Microsoft’s Surface will be powered by Windows 8, a platform which going forward will also power the Ultrabooks, Laptops and Personal Computers. Imagine a gadget-world which is so diverse but yet brought together by this one platform.
Windows Phone 8 and its Big Brother Windows 8 will have a lot of similarities. Rather, I should say, both the platforms will have features which will complement each other. Windows Phone 8 will have the same fundamentals as Windows 8, making it possible to converge the two to the truest meaning of the term. Microsoft’s dream is to build a single dynamic platform which will connect all the smart devices and thus make itself indispensible for any gadget-lover.
Concluding thoughts
If you put together all the pieces of the puzzle, you will see a beautiful picture which Microsoft has in mind. The difference between Apple and Microsoft is, Apple defined its universe within its own product range while Microsoft’s universe is much wider and spreads across the entire electronic devices space. If Microsoft’s dream of “Converged devices” works out, it will mark the beginning of an era of Windows dominance. The fun part will be to watch what Apple does about all this.
analyse360degree has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Microsoft. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple, Microsoft, and Nokia. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.If you have questions about this post or the Fool’s blog network, click here for information.
