However, he says that the company is more focused on creating a world where the device is less important that the services being accessed by it
Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella has admitted in an interview that the company’s smartphone market share is unsustainable. However, he argues that the company is focusing on creating a world where services being accessed by a phone is more important than the device itself, which would explain Microsoft’s push towards cloud services. In an interview with BuzzFeed, Nadella says, “You and I throughout the day, we will use many devices. Perhaps you start with a phone. But then you walk into your conference room where there are sensors, large screens, and small screens. And then you go back home to your TV or your Xbox. The idea is that … your apps, your data, your context move from device to device [when] you are mobile.”
The focus on cloud makes sense as Microsoft doesn’t seem to be doing so well in the mobile category. The latest report by Gartner estimates that Microsoft’s market share in the mobile category is just 1.7%. Not only that, but a report by IDC estimates that Windows Phone’s market share will rise by just 0.1% by 2019. However, Nadella does seem to be to be fazed by sales figures and is committed towards cloud services. During the Future Unleashed conference held in Mumbai in November, he had said, “There will be more computing in our lives…the key will be the mobility of our human experience…That is truly where technology will go.”
However, not everyone is convinced that this is the direction Microsoft should take. During the company’s annual shareholder meeting in December, ex-CEO and largest individual shareholder, Steve Ballmer said that he feels Windows Phones should be able to run Android applications. He felt that Nadella’s idea of universal applications that will run on a variety of devices, “won’t work.” Microsoft’s Project Astoria, which allowed Android apps to be emulated on Windows Phone, may have been put on hold. While no official reason for this step was given, it is speculated that it was due to the controversial nature of the project. Not only did it make pirating an app easy, but also undercut developers who would then have no reason to create native applications.
Source: BuzzFeed
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Shrey Pacheco
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