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Last updated: Friday, December 18, 2009

Is the end in sight for Windows Mobile? A number of recent surveys show that market penetration for Microsoft’s mobile platform is stagnant, even as support for Apple’s iPhone, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry, and mobile devices based on Google’s Android are growing by leaps and bounds. New numbers from comScore show precious little interest in Windows Mobile. The platform had seven million users in May, 6.6 million in July, and 7.1 million in October. Those numbers compare unfavorably with the iPhone, up 50 percent since May, and market leader RIM, up 20 percent. Android, while still a small player, is up nearly 30 percent. “Windows Mobile has not captured the imagination of the public and people are not buying those phones,” Greg Sterling, principal analyst with Sterling Market Research, said in a telephone interview. “The attention is not on Windows Mobile — it has been crowded out in the press and the public mind.” Waiting … and Waiting on Mobile 7 In the smartphone business, excitement is a key part of marketing success. The market has dramatically shifted since the introduction of the iPhone. Mobile operating systems used to create a level playing field — with manufacturers delivering hardware enhancements on top of platforms like Windows Mobile. Now the market is controlled by companies like Apple and RIM who control both the OS and the hardware. And with the iPhone and Android supporting a rich ecosystem of third-party development, the ground has shifted again. Microsoft may be counting on the release of Windows Mobile 7 to make a difference, but it’s still an open question about when consumers will be able to buy Mobile 7 phones. “There is no question that Microsoft’s Windows Mobile platform is way behind their competitors and they need to do a lot of work if they are to catch…

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Windows Mobile Losing Ground as Competitors Grow

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