How Nokia Flexes Microsoft's Muscle to Lure Reluctant App Developers

[bryantest]

How Nokia Flexes Microsoft's Muscle to Lure Reluctant App Developers - Businessweek


Bryan Biniak, Nokia?s global vice president and general manager, said in an interview that the pitch will include a simple massage: Those who decline to build apps for Windows could loses valuable business from Microsoft and Nokia.

?If our employees bank with you, if the company banks with you, if we travel with you, if we stay in your hotels, if we do all these things, you should have an application in our store,? he says. ?We have some muscle here. Let?s start flexing our muscle.?

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Not sure I agree with this kind of strategy

 

[goodintentions]

How Nokia Flexes Microsoft's Muscle to Lure Reluctant App Developers - Businessweek


Bryan Biniak, Nokia’s global vice president and general manager, said in an interview that the pitch will include a simple massage: Those who decline to build apps for Windows could loses valuable business from Microsoft and Nokia.

“If our employees bank with you, if the company banks with you, if we travel with you, if we stay in your hotels, if we do all these things, you should have an application in our store,” he says. “We have some muscle here. Let’s start flexing our muscle.”

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Not sure I agree with this kind of strategy

Some quality writing there.

 

[HeyCori]

If a customer is going to shift millions, possibly billions of dollars through your door then you should already be doing everything possible to keep those doors open.

 

[aximtreo]

Where has this attitude been? I think MS should have taken this stand a few years ago.

 

[Editguy1900]

Some quality writing there.

Hey, maybe they're giving simple massages!

 

[anony_mouse]

How Nokia Flexes Microsoft's Muscle to Lure Reluctant App Developers - Businessweek

Bryan Biniak, Nokia’s global vice president and general manager, said in an interview that the pitch will include a simple massage: Those who decline to build apps for Windows could loses valuable business from Microsoft and Nokia.

“If our employees bank with you, if the company banks with you, if we travel with you, if we stay in your hotels, if we do all these things, you should have an application in our store,” he says. “We have some muscle here. Let’s start flexing our muscle.”

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Not sure I agree with this kind of strategy

Threats like this seem a very unpleasant way to do business. Not what I would expect from Nokia.

Will it work (if the story is true and it's actually a policy and not just something Mr Biniak said to a leaky acquaintance after a long and unhappy night in the bar)? I suppose Microsoft have some influence over banks as they (MS) are very very rich. Maybe one or two other companies. Probably hard to see it increasing the app count by more than 12 though.

 

[inteller]

Hey, maybe they're giving simple massages!

with hAPPy endings for us!

 

[SnailUK]

Threats like this seem a very unpleasant way to do business. Not what I would expect from Nokia.

Well, i have no doubt Microsoft/Nokia sees all the moans on the big WP sites, sees the apps people are dying for, and approaches those companies.

I have no doubt most of them just turn round and quote the marketshare, and say no.

What other choice have they got? Its the same for Windows 8. It may have a small market share for a windows product, but it still has tens of millions of active users, why should those users be ignored?

To be honest, us users should be the same. If your bank doesn't support WP, move to one that does, and when they ask why, be explicit about the lack of app support. Same with stuff.

I deleted my Google account because of their lack of support for WP.

 

[gsquared]

This is not a new business strategy by any means. As an example Walmart has for years required any company that does business with them to have a local office in Bentonville, AR.

 

[anony_mouse]

This is not a new business strategy by any means. As an example Walmart has for years required any company that does business with them to have a local office in Bentonville, AR.

OK, so which companies do Microsoft and Nokia have much influence over? The banks, perhaps. But banks also buy a lot of Windows servers and it's better not to p*** off your customers. Maybe it would be better to offer them a discount on server licences if they build an app, rather than make nasty threats?
Otherwise, which companies can they threaten? As Microsoft do so much internally, they probably have fewer suppliers than is typical for companies their size, and these suppliers are not necessarily app providers. They can try to screw their customers, which is most companies, but that's probably not a very good idea. So who else?

 

[EchoRedux]

Nokia is looking out for their customers who are being neglected by those businesses. Nokia is just reminding businesses not to bite the hand that feeds them. That's basic business philosophy. I don't see why people would have a problem with what Nokia is doing.

 

[anony_mouse]

Nokia is looking out for their customers who are being neglected by those businesses. Nokia is just reminding businesses not to bite the hand that feeds them. That's basic business philosophy. I don't see why people would have a problem with what Nokia is doing.

To quote Mr Biniak (if the quote is true, about which I have my doubts): “If our employees bank with you, if the company banks with you, if we travel with you, if we stay in your hotels, if we do all these things, you should have an application in our store,” he says. “We have some muscle here. Let’s start flexing our muscle.”

Reminding businesses that there are X millions WP users, including their customers, is one thing. Making threats to withdraw business (or persuade their employees to withdraw business) is another. I don't think threats are a nice way to do business, or one that succeeds in the long term. I can imagine the reaction here if certain other companies tried it.

 

[WPmunkey]

Whoever thinks this isn't business as normal for for large companies is kidding themselves.

Business between companies is not "nice".

 

[anony_mouse]

Whoever thinks this isn't business as normal for for large companies is kidding themselves.

Business between companies is not "nice".

My final word on the subject - probably all the companies that Microsoft/Nokia would threaten are their customers. This is not a good long term business strategy. In this case, the carrot would be more effective than the stick.
And a final final word - people on this forum get pretty angry about the practices of certain other companies. Is it OK for those companies to not be "nice"?
And a final final final word - I still have my doubts about this story. If you're going to try something like this, you don't start by telling a journalist.

 

[squire777]

I think most people who run those companies are big boys and big girls so no one is going to get their feelings hurt. We don't need to worry about that.

 

[anony_mouse]

I think most people who run those companies are big boys and big girls so no one is going to get their feelings hurt. We don't need to worry about that.

I look forward to no more criticism on this forum of any company whatsoever (including Google) for not porting their apps to WP.