Microsoft Ecosystem

Abstract

Mobile technology landscape has changed drastically in recent times. The change is due to the merging of mobile systems with the Internet and the Web. Mobile devices functions expanded much beyond their traditional use and became part of bigger systems. These systems have been given name ecosystems by using analogy with biological ecosystems. Mobile ecosystems are characterized by integration of devices, applications and services creating a dynamic, living business system. Ecosystem attracts large number of independent application and service developers who can develop and sell their products using application stores. Ecosystem owners provide strategic tools and services which are quickly evolving. This creates very strong drive for innovation in the ecosystem and attracts huge number of users who are willing to pay for new applications and services. Ecosystem owners get huge profits from advertising and profiling the users. This makes mobile ecosystem alive and expanding. There are two existing mobile ecosystems created by Apple and Google which became huge success. This has undermined position of Nokia in the mobile world and challenged the role of Microsoft in the information technology world. In this thesis we analyze efforts of Microsoft to create another mobile ecosystem in which Nokia could play major role. Apple and Google ecosystems are described and evaluated in detail. Components of Microsoft platform are described next and compared with Apple and Google. Challenges for Microsoft to create its own ecosystem are analyzed and conclusions are formulated.