Ballmer Expects Windows Phone 8 Devices to Sell Like Hotcakes, Microsoft Planning Marketing and Ad Blitz
You would expect the head of Microsoft to ooze confidence when it comes to the company's Windows Phone platform, and you'd be right. Make no mistake, Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer wholeheartedly believes Windows Phone 8 will finally challenge Android and iOS in the mobile space, and he sees it happening at a faster rate than most might expect.
"We are still relatively small... I expect the volumes on Windows Phone to really ramp quickly," Ballmer said in Tel Aviv during Microsoft's first Windows 8 launch event outside of the U.S., according to Reuters.
Ballmer expressed confidence in the relationship Microsoft has with Nokia, HTC, Samsung, and others, adding that there's an "opportunity to create really a strong third participant in the smartphone market." Does Windows Phone 8 have the legs to run with the big boys?
As of right now, the smartphone market is mostly a two participant race. Google's Android platform dominates the landscape with a 75 percent share of the smartphone market, according to data by International Data Corporation (IDC), while Apple is holding onto a 14.9 percent share. In other words, 9 out of 10 smartphones are rocking either Android or iOS.
When you're up against those kind of numbers, having a viable alternative is only part of the equation. The other part comes down to advertising, and Microsoft is planning to heavily market its Windows 8 products, including Windows Phone 8 and Surface.
"We are still relatively small... I expect the volumes on Windows Phone to really ramp quickly," Ballmer said in Tel Aviv during Microsoft's first Windows 8 launch event outside of the U.S., according to Reuters.
Ballmer expressed confidence in the relationship Microsoft has with Nokia, HTC, Samsung, and others, adding that there's an "opportunity to create really a strong third participant in the smartphone market." Does Windows Phone 8 have the legs to run with the big boys?
As of right now, the smartphone market is mostly a two participant race. Google's Android platform dominates the landscape with a 75 percent share of the smartphone market, according to data by International Data Corporation (IDC), while Apple is holding onto a 14.9 percent share. In other words, 9 out of 10 smartphones are rocking either Android or iOS.
When you're up against those kind of numbers, having a viable alternative is only part of the equation. The other part comes down to advertising, and Microsoft is planning to heavily market its Windows 8 products, including Windows Phone 8 and Surface.
