Analysis Expect 42.5 million Windows-Based Smartphones will Ship in 2012

Tuesday 6 November 2012, Amsterdam

Research concludes that Microsoft will re-assert itself as a leading player in the mobile marketplace. 2012 will witness the launch of the highly-anticipated Windows 8 platform, one that will drive Microsoft’s market share as well as direct the telecoms industry as a whole. Visiongain has determined that the value of the global Windows Phone market in 2012 will reach $1.06 bn.

When smartphones were niche enterprise tools, Windows mobile ruled the roost, commanding a 42% market share in 2007. However, the iPhone delivered a smooth, intuitive UI at an affordable price and drove broad consumer demand for smart devices. iOS and Android have since held a duopoly on the mobile market.

Microsoft is strategically positioning itself for re-emergence on a global scale. As Windows 8 hits the market, so will top-of-the-line Windows smartphones and tablets from the world’s foremost equipment manufacturers. Microsoft will espouse the handset diversity delivered by Google Android, while simultaneously imposing the rigorous and exacting quality control for which Apple is frequently touted.

With a bandwagon filled by the top tier handset-makers and an application market growing at an exponential rate, Windows 8 is poised to become the next big thing in mobile. Its design emphasises the touchscreen interface towards which the mobile world is geared, and its integration with Xbox LIVE, SkyDrive, and other Microsoft products will create an ecosystem to rival iOS.

The Microsoft in Mobile Report 2012-2017: Windows Phone Strategy and Prospects in the LTE Era illustrates how Microsoft has failed in its past efforts and how these failings have informed its current approach. 113 unique charts, figures, and tables quantify Windows’ performance in the global and 5 regional markets over the next five years. The report also provides insight into 7 leading equipment vendors that will be at the forefront of this historic re-branding.

The Microsoft in Mobile Report 2012-2017: Windows Phone Strategy and Prospects in the LTE Era will be of value to current and future investors in the telecommunications industry, as well as companies and research centres who wish to broaden their knowledge of Microsoft’s offerings.