Ballmer is candid about Windows Phone but seriously, what’s next?

The Verge reported today that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made some very interesting and candid statements regarding Microsoft’s current position in the mobile space.

….CEO Steve Ballmer was refreshingly realistic about the company’s struggles in smartphones and tablets. “Mobile devices. We have almost no share,” he admitted on stage, before noting he didn’t know whether to be enthusiastic over his admission or uncomfortably tense.

“But I’m an optimistic guy, any time we have low market share sounds like upside opportunity to me.” That upside opportunity is the key reason Microsoft moved to secure Nokia’s phone business.

It’s clear that Mr. Ballmer feels somewhat liberated to speak freely about Microsoft and their position in the world in light of his impending departure but there are serious questions about what benefits this Nokia acquisition will bring.

I’ve been saying for years now (much to the chagrin of many of you) that Windows Phone just wasn’t happening. It’s a little vindicating to see Mr. Ballmer acknowledge that but it seems that there is nothing but a set of very tough choices ahead for Microsoft.

I continue to see the greatest challenge for the company as the fact that their ecosystem plans are set.

The ecosystem has to have a Metro, It has to have a Windows Phone with tiles, it’s too late to change any of the core pieces at this point. This all begs the question – what if Microsoft really needs to take a step back and re-evaluate things?

If a piece of the plan isn’t working, can Microsoft make any radical changes at this point?

They have acquired a phone maker now but we already know that it’s not going to be some new piece of technology that wins the mobile wars, it will be the design and User Experience that people are passionate about. Heck even Apple had to bow down and admit that UX is everything with IOS 7.

If Microsoft don’t have that basic flexibility, it’s kinda hard to see where they go next.

What do you think?

Free Windows 10 Training Videos

More Related Articles

5 Comments

  1. Ray C
  2. Rodney Longoria
  3. Rodney Longoria
  4. Michael Paterson
  5. Mike Greenway

Leave a Reply