Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 8 platform is expected to prove a great option for users in the enterprise segment, recent reports on the matter suggest.
The operating system is said to arrive on devices with a variety of features specifically designed for this market area, which will spur adoption and will allow Microsoft to push RIM to the edge.
At the moment, BlackBerry smartphones made by Research In Motion are highly popular among enterprise users, courtesy of increased security options and a familiar OS interface.
However, it appears that Microsoft too is planning the inclusion of better security capabilities in Windows Phone 8, which comes as a major upgrade from WP7, a recent article on mobilenewscwp.co.uk reads.
Some of these features would include built-in encryption software for both the OS and user’s files, along with ‘App Sandboxing,’ which should provide increased protection from malware.
Overall, there will be multiple layers of security packed inside the new platform, so as to increase the protection of all content present on the device.
On top of that, Microsoft is expected to provide improved remote management tools for IT managers, thus making the platform more appealing for the corporate environment.
Ovum analyst Nick Dillon suggests that all these will help Windows Phone 8 penetrate the enterprise market more than it will on the consumer area, where familiar platforms such as Android and iOS will continue to dominate.
According to the analyst, Windows Phone will manage to increase its market share in the UK from 5 percent this year to over 13 percent in the next five years.
The issue is the fact that Windows Phone sports a different UI that other mobile OSes, and that stores need to train their staff to understand the benefits of the platform so as to be able to successfully sell it to customers.
“This, along with the security upgrade is one of the reasons businesses could be the key market for Windows Phone. Done properly with the right marketing, Windows could be a BlackBerry killer in enterprise,” Dillon reportedly said.
