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Microsoft and Nokia partnership looks good for many businesses
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13/08/2009
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Manufacturing businesses with Nokia devices and Microsoft backend systems are likely to have more choice and better joined-up systems, following Microsoft's announcement that it is to work with Nokia. So says Nick Jones, Gartner research vice president and distinguished analyst, commenting on the software and mobile communications giants' pledge to bring key communication and collaboration tools to the Nokia E series smartphone devices and later other Nokia Symbian handsets.
"It is also good [news] for the Microsoft divisions responsible for Office, Exchange, Sharepoint, OCS and SystemCentre," adds Jones. "They will have more potential users and be able to sell more software."
And it's good news for those enterprises who were getting worried about the future of Windows Mobile, he says. "Now they have an alternative."
Naturally, Nokia E series devices will also become even more attractive – potentially competing better with Blackberry devices – particularly to companies already using Microsoft technology.
However, Jones reckons Microsoft is playing another game here. "Over the next couple of years, Microsoft will face greater competition in mobile email, unified communications and collaboration from a wide range of organisations such as Cisco, Google and RIM [maker of Blackberry]," he says. "Being available on Symbian – the dominant smartphone platform – will help Microsoft fight these competitors."
As for the losers from the news, Jones comments that it is bad news for HTC, "who've been big supporters of Windows Mobile".
And he adds: "I bet the Windows Mobile team aren't ecstatic either. Despite loud protestations that Microsoft is deeply committed to WinMo they wouldn't have needed this alliance with Nokia if WinMo were the leading smartphone operating system.
"I see this as a tacit admission from Microsoft that WinMo hasn't made the grade… I am becoming more concerned about its future and I worry that WM7 could even be the last throw of the dice.
"Imagine you're Steve Balmer, and in two years time WinMo was still fourth in the smartphone market share. How much longer would you keep throwing money at it?"
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Author
Brian Tinham
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