This morning I read the new report from Gartner (source) showing that Android has over taken Windows Mobile in the Smartphone market. Surprise! No really, I’m sure you’re not surprised.
Gartner - Mobile Market Report
There has been a significant jockeying of positions between the different mobile operating systems and device providers. Gartner estimates consumers purchased 8.4 million iPhones and Android 5.2 million in the first quarter. While Windows Mobile still has a 10.5 percent market share their position is dwindling and dwindling fast.
Where are you Microsoft? Is there anything innovative and exciting on the horizon? When’s that last time you heard someone say “Man, I love the new Windows Mobile Phone?”
I can honestly say I’ve never said I love my Windows Mobile device. But I have said I LOVE my iPhone. And I’m not alone. Such devotion for a product is also heard in the Android circles.
Clearly Google and Apple are on the right track. I’ve asked a number of professionals and business CEOs what is the differentiator between what they see from Google and Apple compared to Microsoft? The response has consistently resonated three key areas:
- Innovation
- Products that work
- Phenomenal user experience.
Seems like simple concepts and something that has been the driving force of Google and Apple. What will be really interesting is to see the new Enterprise Security features promised in iPhone OS 4.0 will further change the mobile space. Google is also making the race more interesting with their announcement this week of the Google Web Store and the Google App Engine for Business.
As I see it enterprise mobile solutions (devices and applications) are going to need the following if they want to stay and more importantly lead the game
- Innovation
- Powerful and intuitive user experience
- Graphically rich
- Location Aware
- True multi-device support
- Enterprise class security
- The option of lightweight and powerful native applications or web-based applications
- Fully managed applications and device management
This isn’t a wish list. This a list of features for which customers and businesses are clamoring. Clearly the company or companies that figure this out will be the ones who are shaping the landscape of the mobile enterprise in the very near future.
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Author: Jody Sedrick – CEO, Zenware
http://www.zenware.com
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