Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been a company known for having big innovations with its news software and services usually taking its time and playing a long-term strategy in establishing success with its products. However, as the marketplace has grown, expanded and has been turning over every year, there seems to be an expectation for new devices, software or services to make an immediate impact on the market, or the new launch is considered a “failure.”
Consumers can’t usually wait. They want to get on to the next thing, not go back to something that has been established with a track record of effectiveness. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been able to build a successful brand through a long-term strategy. While Microsoft seems to not be the first to the party in many segments, it has managed to have some staying power and are viable several years later. But in this perceived culture of short attention spans and noting that the Windows Phone operating system has been on the market for more than a year – and the new Windows 8 OS launched last fall – is it time for Microsoft to drop its past business model and start considering alternatives to Windows Phone in order to make headway in the smartphone space?
Is Microsoft being left behind in the marketplace?
That might depend on your perspective. In the fourth quarter of 2012, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone is estimated to own about 3 percent of the smartphone market, which is nearly double the share in the same period of 2011. While the growth is faster than with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) in the market, the overall market share is far below the top two in the space, with iOS and Adroid occupying more than 90 percent of the market.
What is Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) looking to do to help with market share? Klein said the company is continuing to work with its hardware partners to provide Windows software is more readily available for smartphones, tablets and PCs. “It’s probably more nuanced than just you lower prices or raise prices,” said Klein. “It’s less a Plan B and more, how do you tweak your plan, how do you bring these things to market to make sure you have the right offerings at the right price points?”
What do you think? Will patience still be a virtue for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), or do you think the ever-changing tech landscape and investor sentiments should dictate and adaptable, more flexible strategy? Have you been a believer in the business model in Redmond? We’d like your thoughts in the comments section below.
DISCLOSURE: I own no positions in any stock mentioned.
Please see these related MSFT articles:
Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places
