Microsoft and Nokia Deal: Opportunity For Developers

Nokia’s move to adopt Microsoft’s Windows Phone as its principal smartphone strategy has far-reaching implications for developers.

In an 11 Feb blog post describing the impact of the deal on Microsoft developers, general manager at Microsoft Matt Bencke said:

“I’m incredibly excited about its long-term potential and how it could enable us to innovate, differentiate and combine strengths to build a new global ecosystem that creates opportunities beyond anything that currently exists today. We’re creating an entirely new ecosystem of possibilities for developers. For our part, Microsoft is first and foremost a platform company, which means that nearly everything we do begins and ends with the developer community in mind. This deal is no exception.”

Moreover, from a tools and platform perspective, Bencke said Microsoft is “working to make it as easy as possible for developers to take advantage of this new opportunity”.

Indeed. “Nokia’s Windows Phone portfolio will support existing Windows Phone applications, while Nokia’s existing developers can now enjoy an application platform that was specifically designed to make building amazing apps and games for Windows Phone quick and easy,” he added.

“This means that Windows Phone apps and games will continue to use the free Windows Phone Developer Tools; comprised of Visual Studio 2010, Expression 4, Silverlight and the XNA Framework.”

Big news for developers

Andrew Brust, founder of Microsoft analysis and strategy service provider Blue Badge Insights, said:

“For developers, this is big news.  It moves the conversation from one of WP7’s technical merit and potential to, quite possibly, it being one of three major platforms. This will be less about getting in on the ground floor of a new platform, to quite possibly about supporting one that is well-established, with a big install base. This would shift the conversation from why you should develop for WP7 to how you can’t afford not to. That’s when tech gets big: when the price of implementing it is a small cost on the way to making money somewhere else.”

Brust said his opinion on the deal is generally positive but with some caveats. He acknowledged that Nokia is a huge player in the smartphone market, though not in the United States, and with market share that is declining. And although Windows Phone is “an excellent platform” and Microsoft is a huge brand, it is clearly a tarnished one in the mobility space.

“The two companies are on their respective back feet. But they can certainly help each other. Microsoft gets global reach and market share from Nokia; Nokia upgrades from the somewhat stunted Symbian OS to something modern, touch-centric and contemporary in design value, through Microsoft’s WP7,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Nokia told eWEEK: “Qt remains the development platform for Symbian and MeeGo. For Windows Phone, Silverlight is the best tool. We are committed to our developer relationships, and both companies recognise the importance of developers in building a successful ecosystem.”