We’ve known for a while that Microsoft’s investments in the consumer mobile market are fading away, but we finally have confirmation that the company is ready to shift focus to the enterprise.
Vahé Torossian, president of Microsoft France, said in an interview with local newspaper Le Point (via MSPU) that Redmond is now moving away from the consumer market in mobile, trying to concentrate more on businesses in the coming years.
Torossian has acknowledged that becoming competitive in a market that’s currently dominated by Android and iOS is an impossible mission, and what Microsoft is trying to do right now is find new ways to become successful in mobile with business solutions before returning to consumers at some point in the future with a similar approach.
So basically, there’s still hope that Microsoft would return to the consumer market with its own smartphones, but first, the company wants to find a successful strategy that would guarantee a bigger share in the fight against Android and iOS.
The upcoming Surface Phone, if it ever launches, will certainly be focused on enterprises and will come with features specifically focused on this side of the market. Premium pricing is very likely too, so it won’t be in any way addressed to consumers.
Previously, it was believed that Microsoft planned several versions of the Surface Phone, one of which was supposed to be aimed at enthusiasts in the consumer market and coming with a more affordable price. But it turns out that this plan has since changed and Microsoft is ready to go all-in on businesses.
Windows 10 Mobile, on the other hand, will survive, and Microsoft plans to continue releasing updates and feature improvements to existing devices running it. Just like the firm said several times before, it’ll support the expansion of the Windows 10 Mobile ecosystem by working with partners and improving the operating system.
For the moment, however, it’s not yet clear if sales of the existing Lumia models would continue, as sources previously hinted that Microsoft planned to discontinue the entire brand later this year and focus exclusively on the Surface Phone and Windows 10 Mobile.
