Windows: The New BlackBerry?

Microsoft Windows phones are to do serious smashing in years ahead, analysts are tipping.
Every one in four new business phones will be on the fledgling Microsoft Windows platform, debuted by Nokia in London last week, by 2016, predicts Ovum -and will go head to head with corporate leaders BlackBerry.

And it may be right here in Oz may be where the (apparently) game changing Windows Phone will do the business – and match BlackBerry as the new hot device for corporations.

Analyst Ovum are tipping the Asia-Pacific regaion and Microsoft Windows as where major growth in business smartphones will be, reaching 1.1 million new device shipments by 2016, marking a whopping annual growth rate of 37%.

Last week, Nokia unveiled the first “real” Windows consumer smartphones running 7 OS Lumia 800 and 710, and former Android members Samsung and HTC all to debut Windows OS models soon. 

Currently, just 236,000 business devices are to be shipped by end 2011 in AP region.

But Ovum still believe BlackBerry will remain a favourite in Asia-Pacific, forecasting almost double growth in next five years from 638,000 at the end of this year, to 1.1 m by 2016, coming neck to neck with Windows.

“BlackBerry will remain the overall leader for the forecast period as its strong device management and security capabilities make it a favourite with IT departments.”Pauline Trotter, Ovum principal analyst, said.

So the business phones league table in five years time looks something like this: BlackBerry will remain the dominant player, with 25% market share, matched by Windows with 25%, leaving platforms like Android and iPhone who will also make “make significant gains,” say Ovum.

Uptake of iPhones by business will also increase significantly, driven by the “consumerisation effect” will reach 455,000 in 2016, at 19 per cent growth.

The majority of companies in Asia-Pacific do not provide mobile devices to their employees the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy is already a reality in the region, say analysts. 

“The business smartphone market in Asia-Pacific will see significant growth over the next five years, with shipments rising from 2.5 million at the end of this year, to 4.5 million in 2016, a CAGR of 12 per cent, ” Ovum noted.

“Ongoing improvements in manageability of these device platforms, and support for more business applications, will begin to make these devices much more appealing to enterprise buyers.”

“Lumia is reasonably good … but it’s not an iPhone killer or a Samsung killer,” Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics said, of Nokia’s offering, which are said to be very competitvely priced.