Windows Phone is dead?

“If you don’t drive your business, you will be driven out of business – This is what B. C. Forbes told before a long time. Obviously you need to give your maximum effort and time for your business until you achieved your goal. At the same time, you must be careful enough while taking risk for your business because it may backfire anytime. The legend of IT industry i.e., Microsoft having a long list of successful business ideas is in trouble due to a small mistake made before few years. In fact, every business is driven by the risk factor, and hence we shouldn’t underestimate the power of risk in our business. An unnecessary risk can be turned out as a fatal one if not get executed properly and so the case happened with Microsoft’s mobile manufacturing business”.

The Journey of Windows Phones: Few years back, Microsoft decided to start its mobile device manufacturing business understanding the potential of smart phone industry in coming era. It took over Nokia at €5.44 billion for its devices and services business. And hence around 32,000 Nokia staff joined in the Microsoft’s ambitious venture. Everybody knows the monopoly game that Microsoft used to play with its users. This time, Microsoft again tried to couple its windows smart operating system with the Nokia smart phones for the users. In fact, it didn’t allow any Nokia model to be associated with any other operating system like Android or iOS. Things worked against Microsoft this time. It could neither able to rule the smart phone industry through its flagship windows operating system nor with the new Microsoft Nokia smart device manufacturing business. As a result, the popularity and penetration of Microsoft’s smart phones in the industry couldn’t grow as per their early estimates. This is really a failure for Microsoft and is under severe pain due to this venture.

Microsoft is failing to hold the success grip: Every business idea can never be a successful one if not get executed properly and at the right time. Probably the time was not good for Microsoft this time, which lead to failure in the industry. Instead of focusing on its windows operating system, Microsoft put its half-hearted effort for both the software as well as hardware business and hence neither of the business gets success as per their expectations. Experts believe that, if Microsoft would have focused more on its new smart phone operating system i.e., windows 8.1 and above then it might have challenged Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS. In fact, they believe that was not the right time for Microsoft to enter into the smart phone device manufacturing business with Nokia.

Hurriedness has turned out as a fatal output: Microsoft was in extreme hurry to enter into the smart phone industry with both operating system and hardware device. But this decision was turned as a grand mistake for Microsoft and it had to pay a lot both in terms of time and money. Windows phones couldn’t grow in the industry due to a variety factors like improper operating system, lack of windows apps, and no support from any other third party vendor etc. As a result it couldn’t get chance to taste the success.

Windows phones are far behind than that of Android and Apple phones: When windows phones introduced to the market, it was already flooded with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating system. Apple had already established a long and successful track record in the industry when Microsoft’s windows phones get launched and this hampered the business of windows phones severely due to lack of prior experience and expertise in the field. On the other hand, Google’s Android operating system was on its path to success due to its continuous effort for the software instead of any effort for the hardware devices. But Microsoft tried to conquer both the software as well as hardware market in a single shot which was the biggest mistake of Microsoft and hence it had to lose its business in both departments. Also, Microsoft did not offer any good reasons for the Windows Phone app developers to start/continue app development in that platform.

Microsoft gradually withdrawing its resource from this project: Now Microsoft understands its failure and it wants to regain its status in the industry through a controlled business aggression. Though it has not left all possibilities of success from its windows phones but it want to proceed with a new business idea again. This time, Microsoft is not as aggressive as it was before and trying to limit its resources for the time being. Microsoft is going to fire around 7,800 people from its windows phone manufacturing business in order to survive in the industry. This indicates the threat of a grand failure of windows phones in the industry and obviously for Microsoft.

CEO Satya Nadella’s announcements should be considered: Recently the CEO Mr. Satya Nadella announced that Microsoft is going to reinvent its smart phone business in a smoother manner with a hope to regain its market share in the industry. Although it doesn’t want to admit that the company has lost out on the smart phone manufacturing business but it is clear from its performance in the industry. They are trying to limit their cost for the phone business and focusing on few pieces of windows phones for the industry. Nadella has announced that they will focus on three categories of windows phones i.e., one for high end multitasking business people, second one for cost sensitive users and the last category is for windows lovers. This strategy is not yet implemented but it creates a hope for success of its dying windows phones.

Still, it’s not yet dead but trying to overcome the hurdles to find a new ray of hope: Microsoft has not accepted its failure even now and trying to put its high effort to gain a good market share for its windows phones in coming days with its new strategy. If there is a hope there is a chance for success. Microsoft has not lost its hope from its mobile business. So there is still a ray of hope in the sky of smart industries for Microsoft. May be after a decade we may find the smart phone industry being governed by Microsoft just like its historical windows operating system. So there is always a chance for success until and unless we leave the hope.

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