Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer has promised a completely new approach for Microsoft in the coming months in his letter to the shareholders and also dropped a hint of the Surface smartphone which is in the rumors since a couple of weeks.
Ballmer writes that Microsoft will see a fundamental shift in their business which would see them become more of a devices and services company than just being a predominantly services company since all these years. This is obviously an approach very similar to what Apple does and has massively been successful with products like the iPad, iPhone and the iPod Touch.
He writes that Microsoft will keep working with other partners in the ecosystem to create a multitude of products ranging from PC’s, tablets to phones. But also very interestingly states that Microsoft will go ahead and build devices at specific times for specific purposes like the Xbox and the Microsoft Surface tablet. This statement could very well be an indication that a Surface smartphone is indeed under the works.
Though, all of the above sounds very interesting and promising as well, I’m not really sure if it would be as well received by the OEM partners as the shareholders. Coming just a few days ahead of the release of the Surface RT tablet and the Windows 8 & Windows Phone 8, it is sure to build some anticipation among the consumers and the manufacturing partners equally.
With the Windows Phone 8 platform yet to take off, a Microsoft manufactured smartphone might be the final nail in the coffin that would get the platform grounded even before it takes off. Microsoft needs to tread carefully here and ensure that they launch the Surface smartphone if at all after a few months of the launch of the Windows Phone 8 smartphones by its partners.
Microsoft is still some distance away from being a successful devices and services company and would do well to retain the support of other OEM’s till the respective platforms stabilize.
