Behind Microsoft's involvement in iOS and Android: Developers are the most important

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Forbes Online published an article saying that due to Microsoft's past mistakes in mobile strategy, the rapid rise of iOS, Android platforms and third-party applications has caused developers to lose interest in the Windows mobile platform. Microsoft was forced to "follow" developers, get involved in the iOS and Android fields, and shift the focus of its mobile strategy from operating systems to cloud services.

The following is the full text of the article:

In addition to the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4, Microsoft also announced its first Lumia smartphones at its event this month. The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL will be the first smartphones to run Windows 10 Mobile, combining Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft's latest software, and high-end hardware, making them clear flagship products from Microsoft.

But these two phones are not enough to have any significant impact on smartphone market share, and Microsoft must know this. Microsoft's strategy is no longer to be the main operating system provider in the mobile field. To understand where Microsoft's strategy has failed and its relationship with developers, readers need not look far to Microsoft's slogan of "Developers, Developers, Developers".

Microsoft's strategic mistake

This problem can be traced back to the release of Windows Phone 7, which replaced Windows Mobile. An important problem is that Windows Phone 7 is not compatible with Windows Mobile, and Windows Mobile applications need to be rewritten to run on Windows Phone 7. This means that the sales of Windows Phone 7 phones have "returned to zero" and there is no large enough target market to attract developers.

Less than two years later, when Windows Phone 8 was released, Microsoft repeated the same old trick: all Windows Phone 7 apps needed to be recompiled to run on the NT-based kernel of Windows Phone 8. The Windows Phone platform once again stood at the starting point of zero sales, depriving third-party developers of the opportunity to earn huge revenues.

As Microsoft repeatedly made stupid moves, Android and iOS platforms, as well as third-party applications, rose rapidly, providing developers with a target audience market that is several orders of magnitude larger than Windows Phone. How did Windows Phone gain the favor of developers?

Developers prefer iOS and Android platforms

Microsoft may be able to win over some major apps, such as Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter, but it can't control all the independent developers who build apps on platforms that don't focus on other platforms and provide them with better monetization opportunities.

Although there are still some developers who insist on developing applications for Windows Phone, most of them have turned to other platforms, including big-name developers. Major applications such as Instagram and Facebook no longer prioritize the Windows Phone platform for updates, and many new features of iOS and Android applications have not yet appeared in the Windows Phone version.

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Microsoft Lumia 950 smartphone

Windows 10 is unlikely to turn the tide

Windows 10 and its ability to run unified apps are unlikely to provide Microsoft with a breathing space to increase its market share in mobile hardware. A Windows 10 smartphone powered by Microsoft's core apps (such as the mobile version of Office) would be a good niche product, and features such as Continuum, which allows users to connect an external monitor and keyboard to their phones and experience the "full" Windows 10 experience, are highlights, showing Microsoft's innovation in the mobile field. However, mobile devices are now dominated by iOS and Android, leaving little market space for Microsoft.

The Lumia 950 and 950 XL will be used to showcase Microsoft's capabilities and innovation in the mobile space. Much like the first-generation Surface devices were used to showcase Windows 8, the new Lumia phones will be used to showcase Windows 10 Mobile and can be thought of as Microsoft's Nexus devices. They will still play an important role in the mobile economy, but they will not be a priority for Microsoft in the near or medium term.

Microsoft was forced to follow

The focus of Microsoft's mobile strategy is no longer the operating system that runs on the phone, but the cloud services that run on the operating system. This means that Microsoft's target market is no longer just phones running its operating system, but any phone that can access Microsoft cloud services such as OneDrive, Skype and Office 365.

Microsoft's target market will include new Lumia devices, but as developers already know, the real value and target market for phones is not based on Microsoft platforms.

In 2015, Microsoft listened to developers who told it years ago that its reinvention of the mobile operating system wouldn't work and followed them into Android and iOS.