Microsoft in Wireless 2010: Reinventing Itself

Visiongain's latest exclusive report focuses on the re-emergence of Microsoft as a key player in the telecoms market in 2010 and beyond.

Visiongain brings an updated edition of the Microsoft in Wireless report that offers an opportunity to our readers to gain insight into all the latest developments and strategies that are shaping Microsoft as it plans to comeback amidst increasing competition.
Readers will discover how Microsoft's game plan of focusing on the software and services powering the three screens (TV, mobile phones, PC) and cloud (internet) can provide them the competitive advantage over Apple and Google.

The report provides a strategic analysis of Microsoft's current position how the company is evolving, as well as its plans to evolve in future in the face of changing wireless industry landscape. We examine in detail its financial resources, capabilities, core competencies, partners, customers and product portfolio in the wireless industry. Finally, visiongain analyses the options for Microsoft to establish its brand image against the fierce competition.
The report examines whether the company’s significant R&D investments in Windows Phone 7 will pay off commercially, starting in 2011. We also provide an overview of its environment and its market strategy. We believe that Microsoft must not be considered as a weak competitor or a partner to work with as it tries to reinvent itself with an enhanced portfolio, marketing and product innovations in 2010. In 2009, when most companies cut back their research budgets, it spent as much as $9.5 billion on new products, up from $8.1 billion the year before.

It is thus vital for vendors, network operators, OEMs, ODMs and other players in the wireless value chain to understand the strategies of Microsoft, and plan accordingly.
Microsoft is poised to launch its much awaited Mobile OS “Windows Phone 7” during the holiday season of 2010. The company has started over with a rigorous effort to re-invent itself as a consumer-driven mobile OS and application provider.
Since 2008, Microsoft’s profitability in wireless has taken a downward turn due to poor planning. A year ago, Microsoft had a 10.2% share in the mobile OS market. According to our estimates, as of June 2010, Microsoft commands a 6.2% share in the handset market. The recent launch of Kin and its ultimate debacle has further casted a shadow on Microsoft’s future in wireless.

In 2011, Microsoft plans to gain solid ground over its competitors both in terms of design and profitability. The strategy of product innovation is being combined with value discipline of customer intimacy to challenge competitors. We believe that the success of Windows Phone 7 is critical and will either make or break Microsoft’s ambition in mobile OS market. Provided Windows Phone 7 is successful, Microsoft will have a solid base to implement emergent and planned strategies to improve on its market share beyond 2011.
In order to revive its market position, Microsoft needs to capture value across the entire handset ecosystem and the most important building block in this tenet is the device platform.
Visiongain believes that Microsoft needs a successful mobile OS platform which it can use as a foundation for all its future applications and services.
Visiongain believes that Microsoft can regain its market position only if it capitalises on opportunities and mitigates threats in its way. With huge growth expected in the smartphone segment both in saturated and emerging markets; Microsoft must position itself favourably by leveraging on its core competencies.
Microsoft cannot stop at this juncture. They have to focus on making their mobile platform and other mobile software solutions the best in the market and should aggressively drive that into the mobile phone market. Visiongain believes Microsoft will have a 12% market share for its Windows Phone 7 by 2015.
We believe that Microsoft must not be considered as a weak competitor or a partner to work with as it tries to reinvent itself with an enhanced portfolio, marketing and product innovations in 2010 and beyond.

What is the subject related to?
• Mobile Devices
• Mobile device manufacturers
• Smartphones
• Data services
• Service innovations
• Data Usage
• Revival strategies
• Competition in the OS market
• Mobile Operating systems
• Mobile applications and services
• Google and Apple’s foray in mobile domain

This report will act as a guide for:
• Operators: They can make informed decisions about Microsoft’s product portfolio in mobiles. They can also gain an insight into how the company is positioning itself to take advantage of the growth phase in data services.
• Handset Vendors: They can analyse the current issues facing Microsoft and gain an insight into its competitive strategies. They can also compare their portfolio against Microsoft’s and the plan accordingly to gain competitive advantage.
• OS Vendors: They can evaluate the smartphone OS solutions and design strategies to gain competitive advantage.
• New entrants: They can use this report as a guide towards formulating OS strategies.


Report Highlights
Companies Listed
Acer
Adobe
AOL
Apple
Aspect Software
Asustek
AT&T
BenQ
Broadcom
Chunghwa Telecom
Cingular Wireless
Coca-Cola
Danger
Dell
Deutsche Telekom AG
EA Mobile
ExxonMobil
Facebook
Fujitsu
Gameloft
Google
Greystripe
Handango
HP
HTC
Huawei
IBM
InMobi
Jumptap
LG
LiMo
Millennial Media
MobiHand
Micro Focus International
Microsoft
Mitsubishi
Mojiva
Motorola
NEC
Ngmoco
Nokia
Nokia Siemens
NTT DoCoMo
O2
Orange
Orange, UK
Palm
PetroChina
PocketGear
Qualcomm
Reliance
RIM
Samsung
SFR
Sharp
SingTel
SK Telecom
Sony
Sony Ericsson
Sprint
Sun Microsystems
Symbian
Telecom Italia
Telefónica
Telstra
T-mobile, USA
Toshiba
Verizon
Verizon Wireless
Vodafone
Yahoo
ZTE
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Executive Summary
E.1: Microsoft is struggling to sustain its position in the Mobile OS Market
E.2: Microsoft realises that Mobile Space is Different from PC Industry
E.3: Microsoft’s Future (beyond 2015) Depends on its Success in Mobile Industry
E.4: Strategies that can bring Success for Microsoft
E.5: Conclusion
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Microsoft’s Product Portfolio
1.2 Microsoft’s Business Divisions
1.3 2010 Fact Sheet
1.4 Microsoft’s Foray in the Mobile Domain
1.5 Microsoft’s History in Mobiles
1.6 Issues Facing Microsoft in Mobile Industry
1.6.1 Faltering Roadmap
1.6.2 Competitors Succeed where Microsoft Fails
1.6.3 Dwindling Customer Confidence
1.6.4 Microsoft Fails to react as the Handset Industry moves from Horizontal to Vertical Integration
1.7 Aim of the Report
1.8 Structure of the report
1.9 Research Methodology
2. Analysing the Wireless Industry Environment
2.1 Variables Affecting Microsoft
2.1.1 Smartphone Demand
2.1.1.1 Saturated and Emerging Markets
2.1.2 Increasing Competition
2.1.3 Data Service Adoption Rate
2.1.4 Number of Application Developers working on the OS
2.1.4.1 Attracting the Best Developers
2.2 External Environment Analysis
2.3 Five Forces Analysis
2.4 Industry Trends that can Offer Growth Opportunities to Microsoft
2.4.1 Application Store
2.4.2 The Market Followers
2.4.2.1 App Store Market Forecasts
2.4.2.2 Microsoft’s positioning in App store
2.4.3 Popular Applications where Microsoft can capitalise on its Brand Image
2.4.3.1 Enterprise Applications
2.4.3.2 Mobile email
2.4.3.3 Location-based Services
2.4.3.4 Gaming
2.4.3.4.1 Trends in Gaming
2.4.3.4.2 Microsoft’s Strategy in Gaming
2.4.3.4.3 Gaining Competitive Advantage in Gaming
2.4.3.4.4 Gaming Market Statistics
2.4.4 Mobile Advertising
2.4.4.1 Google’s Position in Advertising
2.4.4.2 Apple’s Position in Advertising
2.4.4.3 Operators’ Positioning on Advertising
2.4.4.4 Microsoft’s Position in Advertising
2.4.5 Mobile Content and Discovery
2.4.5.1 Microsoft’s Strategy in Search
3. Microsoft’s Mobile Resources and Capabilities
3.1 Microsoft’s Mobile OS Portfolio
3.1.1 Windows Mobile 6.5
3.1.2 Enterprise Handheld Devices
3.1.3 Windows Phone 7
3.1.3.1 Windows Phone 7 UI
3.1.4 Windows 7 for slates: Will it Work?
3.1.5 Kin
3.1.6 OS Summary
3.2 ActiveSync
3.3 Mobile Applications and Services
3.4 Cloud Computing Services for Mobiles
3.4.1 My Phone
3.4.2 Windows Marketplace
3.4.3 Live Services for Mobiles
3.4.4 Live Search
3.5 Microsoft’s Strategies
3.5.1 Three Screens and a Cloud Strategy
3.5.2 Microsoft’s Business Model
3.5.3 SaaS Business Model
3.6 Microsoft’s Core Competency
3.7 Microsoft’s Market Position
3.7.1 Smartphone Market Share
3.7.2 Enterprise Handheld Market Share
3.7.3 Ruggedized Device Market Share
3.7.4 Tablets Market Share
3.7.5 Advertising-supported revenue
3.8 Microsoft’s Geographical Markets
3.9 Financial Performance in Mobiles
3.9.1 Online Services Business
3.10 R&D Spend
3.11 Summary
4. Intra Industry Analysis
4.1 Microsoft’s OS Competitors
4.1.1 Apple
4.1.2 Symbian
4.1.2.1 Symbian’s Platform Strategy
4.1.3 Linux based OSs
4.1.3.1 MeeGo
4.1.3.2 LiMo
4.1.3.3 Lack of App Availability for LiMo
4.1.4 RIM’s BlackBerry OS
4.1.5 WebOS
4.1.6 Bada from Samsung Electronics
4.1.7 Google Android
4.2 Microsoft’s Application and Services Competitors
4.3 Summary of Key Competitors
4.4 Partnerships
4.4.1 OEM Partnerships
4.4.1.1 LG
4.4.1.2 HTC
4.4.1.2.1 Is Partnership with HTC is losing its Charm?
4.4.1.3 Sharp
4.2.1.4 Samsung
4.4.1.5 ASUS
4.5 Microsoft’s Potential OEM Customers
4.5.1 Nokia
4.5.1.1 Nokia’s Emergent Strategies
4.5.1.2 Nokia and Microsoft’s Partnerships
4.5.1.3 Microsoft and Nokia’s Future Alliance
4.6 Operator Partnership
4.6.1 Verizon Wireless
4.6.2 AT&T
4.6.3 Orange
5. SWOT Analysis
5.1 Options in Front of Microsoft
5.1.1 Embracing the Vertical Structure?
5.1.1.1 Scenario 1: Dooms Day
5.1.1.2 Scenario 2: New Frontiers
5.1.2 Success Strategies
5.1.2.1 Ensuring that Windows Phone 7 is Fault Free
5.1.2.2 Ensuring that Windows Phone 7 has a strong ecosystem
5.1.2.3 Focusing on Cloud
5.1.2.4 Capture value across the handset Ecosystem
5.2 Microsoft’s Future in Mobile
5.2.1 Market Share of Windows Phone 7 in 2015
5.2.2 Market Share Statistics in Enterprise Handset Market (2015)
5.2.3 Expected Market Share in Slates (2015)
5.2.4 Microsoft’s Mobile Gaming Revenues by 2015
5.2.5 Microsoft’s Position in Search by 2015
5.3 Conclusion
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Table 1: Microsoft’s Portfolio
Table 2: Microsoft’s Business Divisions
Table 3: Microsoft’s Fact Sheet
Table 4: Microsoft’s Mobile Industry Growth History
Table 5: List of Wireless Industry Variables
Table 6: OEM’s Issues with Microsoft
Table 7: PEST Analysis
Table 8: App Store Comparison
Table 9: App Store Statistics
Table 10: Reasons for Popularity of Mobile Gaming
Table 11: Mobile Gaming Trends
Table 12: Microsoft’s Mobile Gaming Features
Table 13: US mobile ad spend 2009
Table 14: Mobile Advertising Statistics
Table 15: Microsoft’s Mobile OS Portfolio
Table 16: Windows 6.5 Features
Table 17: Windows 7 Features
Table 18: Microsoft’s Cloud Services
Table 19: Comparison between Mobile Devices
Table 20: Microsoft’s Entertainment and Device Divisions Earnings
Table 21: Microsoft’s OSB Business Earnings
Table 22: Symbian OEMs
Table 23: MeeGo Features
Table 24: Key Mobile OS Statistics
Table 25: SWOT Analysis
Table 26: Pros/Cons of Introducing Windows Phone 7 in 2010

Figure 1: Report Framework
Figure 2: Causal Loop Diagram
Figure 3: Macro Environment
Figure 4: Five Forces Analysis
Figure 5: Product Portfolio
Figure 6: Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7
Figure 7: Microsoft’s Strategy Analysis

Chart 1: Smartphone Shipment by Operating Systems and Geographical region (2009)
Chart 2: Smartphone Growth (2009-2015)
Chart 3: Smartphone Sales (2009-2015)
Chart 4: Average number of downloaded apps
Chart 5: Average paid and free applications downloaded by operating system type
Chart 6: Application Price
Chart 7: App Store Users
Chart 8: App Store Revenues
Chart 9: Most popular app categories (selected app stores)
Chart 10: Most popular app categories
Chart 11: Mobile Gaming Revenues
Chart 12: Google’s Revenue Source
Chart 13: Mobile OS Market Share (Q1 2010)
Chart 14: R&D spend as % of total Revenues
Chart 15: Microsoft’s Smartphone
(Windows Phone 7) Market Share in 2015
Chart 16: Microsoft’s Enterprise Handset Market Share in 2015
Appendixes
Appendix A – About Visiongain
Appendix B – Customer Feedback Form
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