Kodak is dead, Sony is tiring, Sharp is in sharp trouble, Motorola- the inventor of cell phones has expired a year ago and Nokia- once the symbol of mobile phones, has just disappeared.
The electronic industry is undergoing some breathtaking transition. What is more important is that you have seen all these in less than a decade.
Mobile phone since Steve Jobs has evolved as a cross over product- with delicate mixing of hardware, software and internet. The fusion of communication, computing and entertainment in a single device requires co-work of multiple players –from hardware and software; to produce the best. Hence there is no wonder that the industry is recently witnessing few quick side changing; including a software firm like Microsoft jumping into the other side to consolidate its gain as a software entity.
Around ten years back, the world has seen a surprising turnaround- hardware giant IBM exiting its computer hardware business and starting software development. IBM had concentrated on durable goods for almost hundred years; but is now one of the best software companies in the world.
Microsoft’s entry into the mobile handset industry was expected when its rival Google acquired Motorola mobile handset facility a year back. The acquistion captured the attention of the world as Google’s Android is the best selling handset feature.
The real beneficiary of Android was Samsung. The South Korean company was lucky to get a software partner like Google and with Android loaded smart phones, it defeated Apple in Smartphone business. Android was a windfall gain for Samsung.
On the other hand, Microsoft’s Windows mobile operating system is yet to get noticeable gain in the industry. So far, the Smartphone business is emerging like a duopoly- Apple with Mac and Samsung with Android.
Now, the world is waiting for Google to come out with beautiful handsets using its Motorola facility. Then, Microsoft’s Windows loaded handsets using the just bought Nokia platform may produce an interesting phase of competition in the industry. If Google restricts Android to its own handsets, the implication will be very hard for Samsung. In the immediate future, the Korean firm should design an equally magnificent OS to match Google, Apple and Microsoft.
With Microsoft’s buyout of Nokia, transition of the mobile handset industry is not completed, but got more accelerated. You are going to witness many more fascinating events including Google handsets and Samsung coming out with a credible OS.
