Microsoft | Internet Marketing Blog

What the Lumia 900 means for Nokia and Microsoft, and how they're bringing it to market

Nokia and Microsoft’s sharp-looking new phone, the Lumia 900, is coming out today, and while there are no visible signs of panic, both companies desperately need a winner.

Nokia has been struggling for years now to compete in the rapidly changing mobile market, and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 OS has achieved only 2% penetration. Both companies are in danger of being locked out entirely, and need a smash hit.

So far, the results of their labors look pretty good. But will that be good enough? Nokia lost $1.4b in 2011, which includes a fourth quarter cash payment of $250m made by Microsoft. If the Lumia isn’t a breakout, is Microsoft willing to keep Nokia afloat?

by Sam Dwyer 06 April 2012 14:59pm 4 comments

Microsoft, Nokia hope to woo Windows Phone developers with $24m

Microsoft operates one of the richest software businesses in the world, but that doesn't mean the company always finds it easy to get its way.

In the mobile space, the Redmond giant has arguably developed a respectable mobile OS, but by in large, iOS and Android are getting most of the love from developers.

by Patricio Robles 26 March 2012 16:42pm 0 comments

Windows 8 expected to debut in October: report

With tablet devices playing a larger and larger role in the world of consumer computing, it's no surprise that Microsoft has high hopes for its ability to compete in the tablet space. But right now there's one big problem: it doesn't have a tablet OS.

That will change with the release of Windows 8, an OS that has been designed for touch and which may contain the biggest changes to Windows since the company's flagship product was released in 1985.

by Patricio Robles 20 March 2012 17:09pm 0 comments

Nokia prepping its own iPad competitor

Today, Apple thoroughly dominates the tablet space, and a couple of other pseudo-competitors (Amazon and Barnes & Noble) arguably are successfully extending the tablet market by targeting individuals who aren't as likely to buy an iPad.

Put another way: despite the efforts of companies like RIM and Samsung, only one non-content-oriented device maker sells a ton of tablets.

by Patricio Robles 15 March 2012 18:54pm 0 comments

Yahoo's Facebook patent lawsuit: hate the game, not the player

While the violent and depressing patent wars that are being waged in the technology industry aren't new, Yahoo's patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook has created a firestorm in Silicon Valley.

From bloggers to venture capitalists to former employees, individuals are lashing out at the once-dominant portal, criticizing it for being desperate, evil or some combination of other less-than-nice words.

by Patricio Robles 14 March 2012 21:17pm 2 comments

Microsoft's cloud faces outage

Cloud computing may be significantly changing the way many companies do business on the internet, but it isn't perfect.

As we've seen time and time again, the cloud infrastructure can fail, leaving users which made poor architectural decisions in a bind. There are also security and financial concerns that the cloud raises, some of which companies fail to deal with intelligently.

by Patricio Robles 29 February 2012 16:03pm 1 comment

Microsoft takes Nokia partnership beyond Windows Phone

In an effort to compete in the mobile space, Microsoft teamed up with Nokia last year. In a deal reportedly worth billions of dollars, Nokia agreed to "adopt Windows Phone as its principal smartphone strategy" and "help drive the future of Windows Phone."

From Microsoft's perspective, the arrangement was ideal. Without such a partnership, the software giant likely would have had to make an acquisition a la Google.

So is Microsoft's strategy working?

by Patricio Robles 24 February 2012 18:51pm 0 comments

Do Not Track gains support, but will it really work?

Today, the administration of US President Barack Obama announced a blueprint for a "Privacy Bill of Rights."

The goal: "improve consumers’ privacy protections" and "give users more control over how their personal information is used on the Internet", all the while maintaining the internet's status as an "engine for innovation and economic growth."

To achieve that goal, the president has enlisted the help of some of the internet's biggest names, including Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL.

by Patricio Robles 23 February 2012 19:37pm 0 comments

Microsoft prepping MS Office for iPad: report

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

When it comes to making its most popular software available for the iPad, that's precisely what Microsoft may be doing.

by Patricio Robles 21 February 2012 18:12pm 1 comment

Major online video players schedule their own upfront

According to some in the tech startup community, television is dead, or should be.

Instead of striking fear in the hearts of executives at the major television networks, it probably brings a smile to their faces. After all, year after year they count billions of dollars in revenues from upfronts as it rolls in.

by Patricio Robles 17 February 2012 17:46pm 1 comment