Windows Phone to be on Sprint

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By getting Windows Phone on all of the major carriers, Microsoft can begin to sell developers on Windows Phone 8. This chicken egg story has bothered them for years now. Users will not buy a product unless it has tons of apps. It is irrelevant if many of them are so-so, numbers matter. Also, it really matters if the top tier apps are on that platform. Windows Phone has been mostly on GSM providers like T-Mobile and AT&T. It has been on Verizon, but handset selection was either small or not well received. Now that Sprint has joined in, the potential customer base has grown. Windows Phone now has a presence on all of the major players (T-Mobile merged with Metro PCS), and it is now a far stretch to possibly see Windows Phone on carriers that user Sprint’s network (Boost, Virgin).

This is a good development for the platform and continues the good news for developers and consumers that started with the changes to the operating system. Windows Phone 8 kernel based on Windows 8 instead of Windows Compact Edition (CE). Windows Phone 8, like Android, can now support hardware from low end to high end spec wise.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043040/windows-phone-8-to-land-on-sprint-this-summer.html

XBOX and PC games from Microsoft go cross platform

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Microsoft is a software and services company. So the announcement that Xbox games would see action on other platforms ranging from iPhone to Android should not be a surprise. Having the right strategy is important though. Case in point: Office. By offering the ability for Office 365 subscribers to include the iPhone amongst their authorized devices, Microsoft can offer free apps on iPhone and avoid giving a cut of the subscription to Apple.

http://news.msn.com/science-technology/microsoft-to-bring-xbox-pc-games-to-iphone-and-android-phones

What does mobile mean to your business?

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Do you have a mobile strategy for your business? A mobile strategy may include a mobile optimized website for phones and tablets. It also might involve an assortment of apps customized so that users can interact with your business and receive information based on where they live. App might even go further so that you can interact with consumers and deliver promotions and incentives to generate excitement and a buying decision.

What kind of mobile strategy does your business have?

We are curious and want to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

Barnes and Noble and the state of their tablet business

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The competition for the consumers’ dollars is a tough pursuit in today’s tablet market. There are winners, and there will be losers. Barnes and Noble may be running out of gas as a provider of tablets. Hardware is sold at low margins, so there is not a lot of room to navigate when wanting to offer sales and promotions. Amazon can offer their hardware at a loss because they have been able to monetize a wide spectrum of services, as well as getting the consumer to buy more stuff. Barnes and Noble is mostly limited to books and still supports many physical locations. Without a good return, Barnes and Noble cannot afford to keep up with Amazon and other low cost OEM Android tablets.

Now that Barnes and Noble has a joint venture with Microsoft, Nook Co., it is possible that Nook the brand will morph into an app or set of apps that run on 3rd party machines or on Microsoft Surface slates. What is going to happen? B&N is probably going to exit the tablet business and concentrate on dedicated eReaders, where it does offer a good selection with the simple touch and glow.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/25/technology/mobile/barnes-and-noble-nook/index.html

India running out of numbers?

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In an article on ZDNET, it has been reported that India will run out of mobile numbers this year. What does this mean? Besides the obvious that the country will be depleted of available numbers, this illustrates the growth of mobile. What once was accomplished only through personal computers, people now can do with mobile handsets. People also have the need to be connected all the time, whether it be with work or family. It will be interesting to see if the move to a 12 digit phone number system will help, or if it will cause severe headaches as the infrastructure is reset to accommodate the changes.

http://www.zdnet.com/in/india-may-run-out-of-mobile-numbers-by-2013-7000006186/