R.I.P Windows Mobile

Android LogoToday is the beginning of the end for Windows Mobile. The software found on phones and portable devices, loved by some, loathed by many, is staring down the end of a long barrel. Why? Well, like other technology markets, Google has jumped in and caused a huge splash. Today, Android was officially announced. Android seems, on the face of it, to occupy a very similar space and Windows Mobile, and when I say similar, some of the partners currently on board with Android are current customers of the Windows Mobile platform.

You may think I’m scare mongering here, but Microsoft have already responded. Reading the New York Times article covering the release you can see that John O’Rourke, general manager of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile business has already responded and has pulled the classic Microsoft Line that free software isn’t actually free. We’ve seen this approach with desktop and server software, so it’s no surprise here. The problem with this argument is that surely there are costs associated with branding and customising Windows Mobile over and above the licensing costs. Having owned a myriad of phones over the years, I’ve never had one that wasn’t rebranded and packaged by the operator. It’s standard procedure. If these costs already exist, and they clearly do, they are hardly going to be obstacles to carriers, operators and manufacturers.

So if we can take the paragraph above at face value, it leaves Microsoft Mobile in a spot of trouble. Potentially, Microsoft could be left with software but not hardware to run it. This comes down to the way Microsoft approaches the Mobile industry, which happens to be the same way it approaches the PC industry. Software only, leave the hardware to other people. There’s little risk of Microsoft losing desktop computer manufacturers due to the massive lead they currently have. This has lead to a whole bunch of software applications that only run on Windows. This isn’t the case in the mobile world where Windows Mobile only accounts for 10% of the market. To truly understand the risk, you have to look around at the competitors. Firstly, you’ve got Apple with the iPhone. Only a small player at the moment but gaining a 1% market share after only a few months is impressive, and future iterations of the iPhone is bound to build on this success. There is no way Apple would ever take up Windows Mobile as a platform and manufacturers attempts to use Windows Mobile as an operating system for touch sensitive devices have been somewhat unsuccessfull.

Alongside Apple, and taking a similar approach is Blackberry, who also run a proprietary operating system. Then you’ve got Nokia, the real big player in this. Nokia are well known for running Symbian as an Operating System. This isn’t likely to change soon, and I really hope it doesn’t, the Symbian Series 60 software is light years ahead of Windows Mobile. That really leaves Microsoft with with the other handset manufacturers. People like LG, Motorola, HTC and Samsung. Except all four of those manufacturers are signed up as Open Handset Alliance Members. Take carefull note of the wording. These aren’t customers of this new Android software package, but members of the group that produces it. This demonstrates some commitment to the platform. So the only manufacturers I can think of that are viable candidates for Microsoft are Siemens and Sony Ericsson, neither of which shift enough Windows Mobile based phones to maintain the 10% market share they currently enjoy.

I know I paint a bleak picture, but it’s accurate. And I shan’t mourn the passing of Windows Mobile, never again will I choose an option only to wait 7 seconds for the next screen to appear.