We are not saying that tomorrow, at 3GSM 2006, Microsoft and Nokia will announce that from now on Nokia will be making Windows Mobile phones, but the facts are that now in the USA with regard to mobile phone market share, Nokia is totally losing the battle … both in regular mobile phones area and in smartphone market…
Well known market research company Gartner is very blatant about this situation of Nokia in the USA, and is actually recommending to Nokia something, that we were preaching for years – “start making Windows Mobile Nokia phones, or die”:
In the enterprise market, Nokia should expand its smartphone portfolio past Symbian to include Microsoft-based products. Nokia is in danger of making the same mistake again ? trying to force end users to take its preferred solution rather than giving them what they want. In North America, enterprises will demand Microsoft-based products. Nokia should not discontinue Symbian devices, but it should focus Symbian products on the consumer and prosumer market, while offering Microsoft-based products to the enterprise market.
Conclusion: Symbian has no future in the USA and now is on position 3 there: after Palm OS and Windows Mobile phones. Maybe it is time for Nokia to abandon the pigheaded approach of making only one-platform smartphones (i.e. only powered by Symbian) and to start making Windows Mobile Nokia phones too! The 3GSM 2006 is starting tomorrow where all top managers from Nokia are present, and where also Steve Ballmer (CEO of Microsoft) and all major managers from Microsoft’s mobile division are present too. Maybe it is time, that Nokia managers should pay a visit to Microsoft managers and start talks about launching Windows Mobile Nokia phones! The 3GSM 2006 is a very good opportunity to start these talks… and at 3GSM 2007 we may already see first Windows Mobile phones from Nokia…
Related link: Gartner. and msmobiles