Ballmer: Windows Phone Sees Slow Sales, But the Future is Bright

Microsoft is confident that their Windows Phone operating system will conquer more hearts than other mobile platforms out there, and that it will prove one of the top OSes on the smartphone market, the company's CEO has confirmed once again. 

For the time being, however, things are not as good as Microsoft might have hoped for, with Windows Phone devices taking off shelves at a slow pace, but the future should change that, it seems. 

Steve Balmer, Microsoft's CEO, confirmed that sales have been disappointing, but he also stressed on the fact that they are making progress with the new OS release, Mango. 

“We haven’t sold quite as many as I would have liked in the first year,” Ballmer said, speaking at the company’s financial analyst meeting, AllThingsD reports.

“I’m not saying I love where we are but I am very optimistic on where we can be. We’ve just got to kick this thing to the next level,” he continued. 

Indeed, users did not rush to buy Windows Phone devices, though Microsoft has been hard at work with attracting as many developers to its side as possible. 

Moreover, the software giant worked on expanding the list of hardware partners for the platform, and managed to add Nokia there earlier this year. 

With Windows Phone Mango almost here, and with new, highly appealing devices right around the corner, it should not be all that difficult for Microsoft to boost up sales, one should agree. 

“With Nokia we have a dedicated hardware partner that is all-in on Windows Phones. They are not doing something on Android or [any other operating system],” Ballmer continued. 

The Finnish handset vendor is expected to launch its first Windows Phones in about one month, and should bring them to shelves on a country-by-country basis, Stephen Elop, Nokia CEO, stated recently. 

Companies like HTC, Samsung, Acer and others will also launch smartphones running under Mango, most probably before the end of the ongoing year, and that should help the platform even more. 

For the time being, however, all that Microsoft has to go forth with appear to be hopes, though they are in line with what analysts already predicted for the platform, namely that it will become one of the top three OSes in the world in the next several years.

Posted in: News, Preview