Jeg har ikke Internet derhjemme i øjeblikket, så derfor kommer dette nok ikke som den helt store nyhed. Hvorom alting er, så offentliggjorde Nokia i sidste uge, at de vil begynde at sælge telefoner med Windows Phone 7 som operativ system.
Rygterne talte således sandt, så der er nok ikke tale om den helt store overraskelse. Onde tunger dog hævdet at Stephen Elop er en trojansk hest plantet af Microsoft for at få Nokia til at supportere WP7, men mon ikke det er lidt for paranoidt alt taget i betragtning?
Umiddelbart tror jeg at det kan komme forbrugerne til gode i sidste ende, da smart phone markedet er sovset ind i iPhone og Android og det er jo altid godt med konkurrence. Samtidig er både Nokia og Microsoft nogle af de gamle giganter, der i den senere tid har føjet drøje hug af Apple og Google, så det bliver overordentligt spændede at se om de kan hive sig op ved hårrødderne og give de andre spillere på markedet noget kvalificeret konkurrence. Man kan have lov at håbe.
Jeg har kigget lidt efter WP7 telefoner i Danmark, men har ikke rigtigt kunne finde nogle stede som sælger dem. Allerede der kan man sige at WP7 hænger lidt i forhold til iOS og Android, så der skal nok snart til at ske noget på den front, hvis Microsoft vil gøre sig gældende herhjemme i hvert fald.
Efter hvad jeg har set af WP7, så virker især UI som en ret god brugeroplevelse, og jeg overvejer det helt klart som alternativ til den iPhone jeg havde planlagt at anskaffe.
GigaOm har en meget fed artikel om partnerskabet mellem Nokia og Microsoft:
What a year for Microsoft! Only a year ago, we were speculating about whether the software giant’s infamous for its muddled strategy for Windows Mobile would really be successful in catching-up with Apple and Android. And while Microsoft is not there yet, you would have to admit that convincing the world’s largest handset manufacturer to drop its own OS efforts in favor of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, would and should go down as a major success.
In signing up Nokia, Microsoft now has access to a range of hardware designs. Consumers want devices with QWERTY, without QWERTY, and small, medium, and large touch screens. They want flips, folds and swivels. They are now in a position to deliver in conjunction with a very slick OS, thanks to this one partnership with Nokia.
Mapped For Success
Related to this, the ability to add Nokia Maps to Windows Phone 7 is also a really significant for Microsoft. In Nokia Maps, Microsoft is getting a well-designed Maps application with a fantastic user interface. Smartphone maps are often unsung heroes. While they are good at preventing you from getting lost, a good maps application can also prevent you from getting a poor deal, or having to endure a meal at a substandard restaurant. This is a pillar of the future of mobility and Nokia will control it.
The Microsoft-Nokia deal has major implications for the developer ecosystem too. Microsoft and Nokia have between them solved one of the most pesky questions for developers in recent times – the third platform question.
This question goes something like this. ‘If you’ve developed your Android app, you’ve developed your IOS app – what exactly do you do next?’ What do you do? Where do you focus? There’s too much market share at stake to simply ignore the other platforms, but there too many other app ecosystems to have the time and resource to cover them all.
That question is now settled in favor of is Windows Phone 7. Developers will start to gravitate towards this platform, and see it as part of their development roadmap alongside Android and Apple. The question ‘What are we doing about Windows Phone?’ will start to be asked.
Kilde: Christian Lindholm @ GigaOm
