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Microsoft Fighting Apple And Google In The Mobile World?

By Alex Speirs


Smartphones. Just about everybody owns one or wants one and the stats are looking good for the future of smartphone sales with Nielsen's prediction that 1 in 2 mobile phone owners will have a smartphone by the end of this year looking bang on target! US sales of smartphones are expected to grow to a whopping 95 million this year making it the highest-selling consumer electronic device on the market. Add to that the prediction that sales of smartphones will exceed those of PCs in 2012 and it isn't difficult to see why the big companies are competing for business. Windows Phone 7 is a relative newcomer in the smartphone world, so will it make Microsoft a legitimate competitor to Apple and Google?

Smartphones are big business and sales are expected to reach almost 100 million in the US alone this year making it the highest-selling consumer electronic device in its category. Phenomenal figures in themselves and with the added prediction that smartphone sales will outstrip those of PCs next year, it's understandable that Microsoft wants a bigger share of the market and to become a legitimate competitor to its archrivals Apple and Google. A recent announcement may just be their golden ticket.

The Microsoft Corporation is now in partnership with Nokia for production of its WP7 and this partnership has been hailed by many as the reason Microsoft will soon be able to re-draw the battle lines in the Smartphone wars. Relinquishing its own homegrown platforms Symbian and MeeGo, Nokia is now embracing Windows Phone 7, but shipments are not expected until 2012.

This alliance of these two genius companies is set to narrow the widening gap between Microsoft and Apple/Google Inc. and at last could make Microsoft the legitimate competitor and the proverbial "third horse" in the race but they still need to make the collaboration work and work successfully. The integration between the two will be interesting to watch as it develops and it needs to be done at speed if it is to compete. Some reviewers remain skeptical.

As Apple, Google Inc and Microsoft continue to battle it out, the winner will almost certainly be the consumer. There should be more choice, greater quality and quantity and more competitive pricing. There is so much untapped potential available to marketers to reach this whole new generation of smartphone consumers too so it means great things for mobile marketers. Mobile marketing is available to every business, no matter what its size so if you haven't yet had a look at what it can do for your business, don't delay.




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