10 Ways Microsoft Can Turn Around Windows Mobile - Don't Forget the Enterprise (
Page 2 of 2 )
6. Forget everything you know about
Windows Mobile
For too long,
Microsoft has tried to make Windows Mobile a mini version of
Windows. It needs to stop. Just because they share a name, they
don't necessarily need to share functionality. Windows Mobile should be a place
where Microsoft can push the envelope a little. It can do unique things that it
can't with Windows 7. It needs to remember that.
7. Don't forget the enterprise
Some software developers forget about the enterprise. In the mobile-phone
market, that's a major blunder. The enterprise is where much of the success
Microsoft hopes to have will come from. The new Windows Mobile platform needs
to be corporate-friendly, featuring options that go beyond Exchange support.
Making it easy to communicate with others should be paramount. Having the
ability to edit documents in an efficient way is also important. No expense on
an enterprise function can be spared. It's a key battleground.
8. Focus on the keyboard
One of the places where Microsoft can trump Apple is on the virtual
keyboard. Assuming the company ties its future to the touch screen, Microsoft
should spend as much time and energy as possible perfecting the typing
experience. It won't be as accurate as a physical keyboard, but it should be
improved upon over the iPhone's virtual keyboard. If Microsoft can succeed in
doing that, it's already one step ahead.
9. Simplicity is OK
Microsoft needs to remember that just because Windows is a sophisticated
operating system, Windows Mobile doesn't have to be. We use computers to handle
all the work we require. We use smartphones to handle some of the simpler tasks
we have. Windows Mobile needs to be much simpler than it has been in the past.
Look at the iPhone -- it's powerful, yet capable. Microsoft needs to remember
that.
10. Learn from Apple
Microsoft can learn a lot from Apple. The iPhone has single-handedly
supplanted every other major phone in the space. And its story is a case study
in what to do if you're trying to compete in the market. Microsoft lost that
vision somewhere along the way. It needs to regain it.
Windows & Interoperability News & Reviews 
