Nokia: Microsoft Must Evolve to Make Windows Phone a Success

[bryantest]

Nokia: Microsoft Must Evolve to Make Windows Phone a Success - IBTimes UK

Nokia's vice president Bryan Biniak knows that his company is facing an uphill struggle, and points out that its partner in this struggle has been in a similar position before.

At the turn of the century Microsoft introduced the Xbox brand into a console market dominated by Sony and Nintendo.

It managed to overcome its lack of heritage in the market by introducing exclusive titles like Halo, and Biniak believes it now needs to do something similar:

"To give you a reason to switch, I need to make sure the apps that you care about on your device are not only on our phones, but are better. I also need to provide you unique experiences that you can't get on your other devices."

"We are releasing new devices frequently and for every new device, if there is an app that somebody cares about that's not there that's a missed opportunity of a sale."

"We are trying to evolve the cultural thinking [at Microsoft] to say 'time is of the essence.' Waiting until the end of your fiscal year when you need to close your targets, doesn't do us any good when I have phones to sell today."

Biniak agrees that it is up to Nokia to "reinforce the message" that Microsoft has to change its practices when it comes to mobile, especially as a strong platform and app catalogue is key to success:

While it might be vital for Nokia that Windows Phone is a success, it seems that the folks at Redmond don't put quite as much importance on the platform, as it has bigger fish to fry with Windows, Office, Xbox, Surface and more.

Whatever Microsoft's intentions for the platform, it is clear that Biniak and Nokia are intent on making it work, and won't rest until it does:

"As a company we don't want to rely on somebody else and sit and wait for them to get it right."

 

[bryantest]

Finally, somebody from Nokia has stated the obvious: HEY MICROSOFT! ISN'T IT HIGH TIME FOR YOU TO STEP UP YOUR GAME BIG-TIME???

:angry: :angry: :angry:

 

[poddie]

I want to have this man's children. And I say that as a straight male. Tell 'em!

 

[inertially]

Nokia should just reveal some Android phones. Maybe Microsoft will get the message.

 

[bilzkh]

Oh look it's something many of us have been saying.

 

[Abhishek Upadhyay]

Nokia should just reveal some Android phones. Maybe Microsoft will get the message.

So will Nokia, when they realize they are a billion short.

 

[inertially]

So will Nokia, when they realize they are a billion short.

It could be a lot less than a billion if they ditch Microsoft right now.

 

[Chregu]

It could be a lot less than a billion if they ditch Microsoft right now.

Yeah, because everybody waits for another Anroid producer next to Samsung, Lenovo, LG, HTC, and the countless others...They could release Nokia Sense, looking like Windows Phone! ;-)

About the thread in general: Microsoft knows and says they are slower than they want to be, we know and say Microsoft is slower than we want them to be, so why shouldn't Nokia do the same?

 

[Reflexx]

Since Nokia has the ability to alter core OS functions, they should just start improving the OS to add more core features.

Then tell MS that they'll either release all those OS improvements as exclusive features for Nokia, or MS could pay them a big chunk of cash to make it available to all OEMs.

 

[Chregu]

Since Nokia has the ability to alter core OS functions, they should just start improving the OS to add more core features.

Then tell MS that they'll either release all those OS improvements as exclusive features for Nokia, or MS could pay them a big chunk of cash to make it available to all OEMs.

Isn't that what is happening at the moment? The features that the Lumias have over my 8X is steadily increasing.

 

[Coreldan]

I would probably just look at Jolla next if Nokia went purely Android in smartphones..

 

[halamadridkimi]

Finally, nokia need to be more aggressive with MS, windows phone is much more important than xbox division, so pay more attention and make faster os updates and bring more apps to our beloved os

 

[Flagz]

Microsoft can't be much faster than throwing Money at developers, or developers themselves throwing themselves at companies to develop for free. People are biased against WP and thats the way it is. I think for the position they're in, MS is doing a good job. They're offering hundreds of thousands to conpanies to develop apps, and developing apps themselves for companies (YouTube and Facebook)

 

[Chregu]

Microsoft can't be much faster than throwing Money at developers, or developers themselves throwing themselves at companies to develop for free. People are biased against WP and thats the way it is. I think for the position they're in, MS is doing a good job. They're offering hundreds of thousands to conpanies to develop apps, and developing apps themselves for companies (YouTube and Facebook)

I think this is more about the OS than about the ecosystem.

 

[tgp]

Yeah, because everybody waits for another Anroid producer next to Samsung, Lenovo, LG, HTC, and the countless others...

I'm not sure I want to see Nokia running Android either, but can Nokia survive with the relatively small WP market share? They need to sell more devices. Nokia arguably makes the best hardware in the industry. If they would put into the Android OS what they've put into WP to cover for Microsoft's shortcomings, a Nokia Android device could be a winner! Android sales are 26 times WP sales, which means that if Nokia captured even 5% of the Android market they'd be much better off.

People are biased against WP and thats the way it is.

One could say it's well deserved.

 

[a5cent]

Isn't that what is happening at the moment? The features that the Lumias have over my 8X is steadily increasing.

No. Although Nokia has the ability to alter the core OS, they do not. All altercations Nokia makes are in firmware or apps only!

 

[Coreldan]

I'm not sure I want to see Nokia running Android either, but can Nokia survive with the relatively small WP market share? They need to sell more devices. Nokia arguably makes the best hardware in the industry. If they would put into the Android OS what they've put into WP to cover for Microsoft's shortcomings, a Nokia Android device could be a winner! Android sales are 26 times WP sales, which means that if Nokia captured even 5% of the Android market they'd be much better off.

One has to remember that when you think about it.. it's not so much Android that is super popular, it's Samsung. It's not that fe. HTC or the various other Android OEMs are doing that much profit on Android. That said, Nokia would have world class hardware to jump into the game with and I guess Nokia if any OEM could rival Samsung in Android sales, but I'd claim it's still an extremely risky move to go there, cos as said, so far it's only really Samsung that is winning in Android business.

I'd say most of the bias is not deserved. The most bias comes from people who have barely ever used one and just ride the bandwagon on what they've heard on the internet. Most people who have actually used WP at least have the decency to admit it's strengths even if it has the weakness. Most of the bias does not do this

 

[tgp]

One has to remember that when you think about it.. it's not so much Android that is super popular, it's Samsung.

Yes that is true. Probably a lot of users who have Samsung devices know that they have an S3 or S4 or Note 2, but couldn't tell you it's running Android. I also think that a lot of Lumia users know they have a Nokia but don't know it's running WP.

Let's flip this scenario and say that Samsung had jumped big into WP instead of Android. Would WP be as popular as their Android phones are? I doubt it. The fact of the matter is that with Android the capabilities are virtually endless. It's also open so Samsung can take the source code and do whatever they want with it. WP has quite a few shortcomings yet, and Samsung wouldn't be able to do much with it. Nokia is doing a great job, but they can't do much more than develop apps to treat the symptoms.

I'd say most of the bias is not deserved. The most bias comes from people who have barely ever used one and just ride the bandwagon on what they've heard on the internet. Most people who have actually used WP at least have the decency to admit it's strengths even if it has the weakness. Most of the bias does not do this

You have a point, but where does "what they've heard on the internet" come from? Users who have actually experienced it maybe? What WP does it does great, but in my experience the problem is what it doesn't do. I have several phones that I use depending on my mood, and I always feel somewhat handcuffed when I'm using WP8. But still, a person should definitely experience WP, or anything else for that matter, before dissing it.

I agree that bias that comes from Microsoft's reputation in years gone by is undeserved. I got Windows 8 as soon as it was available, and I love it! Someone who used Windows earlier than say 10 years ago would have a hard time believing W8 is from the same company.

 

[Reflexx]

Isn't that what is happening at the moment? The features that the Lumias have over my 8X is steadily increasing.

Not really. Nokia hasn't been making core OS changes. But they are the only OEM that has access to do so.

 

[Chregu]

Not really. Nokia hasn't been making core OS changes. But they are the only OEM that has access to do so.

No. Although Nokia has the ability to alter the core OS, they do not. All altercations Nokia makes are in firmware or apps only!

So, I remember something like that (with the core OS) from when they announced they will be producing Windows Phone devices. But what does that mean, is this still valid with Windows Phone 8 and why aren't they doing it then?