Microsoft's Skeleton Key To Unlocking Success

It may not have the dominant mobile operating system, but Microsoft’s renewed focus on software in the smartphone era has handed it something almost as powerful. Access to the same user base and a tight integration between their online activities and Microsoft’s own cloud-based services.

In the same way that Microsoft won the battle for the desktop OS (and countless other companies are successful on top of Redmond’s code), Google has won the battle for the mobile OS (and countless other companies are successful on top of Mountain View’s code). While there are outliers in each case (the obvious example being Apple’s market share of macOS and iOS on desktop and mobile), you don’t need to be at the very bottom of the stack to be a winner.

Which is good news for Microsoft.

Although it had a strong presence in the early smartphone era with Windows Mobile and carved out a beloved but niche reimagining with Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile, the main prize went to Google’s Android with Apple taking the still profitable silver place. That left almost no market share for Microsoft.

Microsoft then put the focus on its long running and financially successful ‘software and services’ team, working to remain an integral part in the digital life of enterprises and individuals.

A quick glance through the top apps in both the Apple Store and the Google Play store and it won’t be long before you find the likes of Microsoft Outlook for email and calendaring, the suite of apps for Office 365 (including Word, Excel, and OneNote), enterprise planning with Teams, file management through OneDrive, the ever-present Microsoft Solitaire, and more.

But the key app that unlocks the ecosystem for the user, at least on Android, is the Microsoft Launcher.

Taking advantage of Google’s open nature of the OS that allows users to decide which launcher they want to use on their smartphone, Microsoft’s Launcher (developed in Microsoft’s ‘Skunkworks’ like app Garage) doesn’t stray too far from the normal appearance of a launcher, but does allow for a lot of small yet welcome customizations. From the grid size of the launcher, to the icon and font size, you can set up the home screen that feels right for you. You can bring in widgets, different animations, and rotating wallpapers if you desire. And all of these settings can be saved to cloud and restored on different handsets.

In essence you can pick up any Android smartphone, head to the Google Play store to download Microsoft Launcher, restore your settings, and your smartphone looks and feels exactly like the previous iteration. No matter if you are moving from a Galaxy S10 to a Xiaomi, a Blackberry to a Nokia, a Motorola to a Huawei, or vice versa, the operating system itself has faded into your personal background and Microsoft is holding together all the apps and online services.

Importantly for Microsoft it provides an easy way for a user to access services such as Cortana for search, Microsoft News for personalization, and your email inbox and address shook if you so wish. Throw in Microsoft’s ‘Your Phone’ app to bring shared features between your smartphone and your (Windows 10 powered) desktop, and the benefits of ‘a platform’ are all there.

Microsoft does not have the domination in the core operating system, but it has found a way to find similar benefits in its own cloud of services on your smartphone. That’s how Redmond can find its own success in the modern smartphone world.

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