Elegance and simplicity have a way of reminding us that less can be more. Microsoft decided to take that approach when introducing their new phone OS Windows Phone 7. The UI dubbed 'Metro' takes a refreshing spin on the glossy, icon-based phone OS' of recent years. Windows Phone 7 tiles-based approach gives that search for contacts a little more fluidity. While the aesthetics are pleasing, the new revamp might have come a little too late for Microsoft.
Usually, questions about Microsoft's mobile phone strategy appear right after some announcement being made about a competitor's expanding market growth. Whether it is Google, Apple or RIM, the questioning always ends noting that Microsoft has a weak to no strategy-strategy. The truth is; Microsoft like the rest of the industry, was caught flat-footed when the first iPhone came out in 2007. The company's strategy at that time was all about business connectivity and enterprise solutions for mobile devices. Microsoft had developed a 'business first-consumer second' approach to mobile device marketing, so much so, the continued arrogant belief in that strategy blinded the Redmond giant from the obvious shift occurring in the consumer mobile segment.
The initial response out of Redmond was luke-warm and disappointing. A minor upgrade from Windows Mobile 6.0 to 6.5 was released and nothing more. Things were changing all around Microsoft when the company finally launched into a revamp of their mobile phone OS. Borrowing heavily from the recent advances done with the Zune UI and with the XBOX Live, Microsoft gave their mobile phone OS an instant modernization that was fresh and intuitive. Initial response in the industry was promising, Matt Buchanan editor with Gizmodo stated in his Feb 15, 2010 article, "Windows Phone 7 is also something completely new for Microsoft: A total break from the past."
The new OS has yet to convince the public at large that Windows is the best choice for their phone dollars. Incidentally, Microsoft has a quite a bit of ground to make up in the consumer confidence department. The recent set back with the first minor OS update, led to inoperable phones for at least 5 percent of their customers. According to Michael Stroh in his March 2nd update on the Windows Phone Blog, "Of the 10 percent who did experience a problem, nearly half failed for two basic reasons--a bad Internet connection or insufficient storage space." The way the update failure was handled was very professional, but inoperable phones for 5 percent of your customers doesn't help quell industry skepticism or consumer doubts.
Recently, the company reached an agreement with Nokia that will bring Nokia on as another OEM that will feature WP7. This is seen as a win-win proposition that will re-introduce Nokia to the American market and give Microsoft some much needed horsepower to compete effectively against the likes of Apple's iOS, Android and RIM's BlackBerry OS. The idea here is to build momentum going forward-something that Microsoft sorely needs to keep the WP7 platform competitive. Hopefully, the company will take a page from their phone operating system and keep their overall strategy simple. If they can, it could translate into a elegantly successful future.
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