Microsoft, Where Have You Been?
In an interview with Reuter, Andy Lees, senior VP of Microsoft’s Mobile Business Communication said “Microsoft is looking to improve music features on its Windows Mobile… One thing that Apple has leveraged on is the music scenario, and I think that is something the operators and ourselves are partnering on, just to make sure that consumers can use live music in the best way," .
While there is no specifics, I suspect Andy Lees referring to the capability of using Windows Mobile to access and purchase song from its portal such Zune MarketPlace.
Until now, Microsoft has had all the ingredients
for the iTunes/iPod recipes but never could materialize a cohesive strategy. Unlike Apple, Microsoft refrains itself for not impacting the wireless carriers/operators, which offer their own music portals. Unfortunately, none of them have really taken off the way that iTunes store has.
Obviously, the Zune, Xbox360 marketplace are not enough to drive the revenue and on the Windows Mobile side, its marketshare seems to be moving along with Microsoft’s expectation to sell 20 million Windows Mobile licenses in its current fiscal year, which ends in June. It also predicts sales will grow 50% the following fiscal year. Microsoft is probably re-thinking the strategy to get a piece of this 11 billion potential market share that seems to flow in a big way to Apple’s bank account.
I expect that Microsoft will revamp its Windows Mobile platform to integrate better with its Zune ecosystem. Many things will be in consideration such the DRM implementation for purchase/rental contents, Windows Media Player needs to be revamped (it is about time!), Integration of Zune software to talk to Windows Mobile, etc… But with all the effort combined from the Windows Mobile and the Zune teams. Hopefully Windows Mobile users will have fun time ahead.
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