Studies give Microsoft Windows Free to stand up to Android - Expansión.com

The software giant is evaluating the possibility of not charging manufacturers for licensing Windows Phone and Windows RT.

In an attempt to compete with Google, which dominates the market thanks to Android mobile devices, Microsoft is exploring the possibility of licensing manufacturers both free version of its operating system for smartphones ( Windows Phone), as designed for tablets and computers with ARM (Windows RT) processors. According to The Verge , citing sources close to the company, Terry Myerson, director of Operating Systems from the software giant, is seriously considering the possibility of not charging for future versions of Windows for these devices móviles.Eso yes, it will continue as before licensing the classic versions of Windows for PCs and tablets.

decision would represent a shift in strategy for Microsoft, which has always charged for Windows licenses to manufacturers of computers, phones and tablets. Meanwhile, Google offers Android for free, allowing its rapid expansion in the market.

traditional reign of Microsoft operating systems ended with the end of the PC era. In 2012, Google Android dethroned Windows. While Windows is still the most widely used computer system, its presence in the environment smartphones and tablets is residual. At present, it has a 3.6% share in mobile, compared to 81.9% that holds 12.1% Android and Apple, according to Gartner. In tablets, the system Google has 46.2% and 45.6% iPad, according to Morgan Stanley.

PC, low hours
smartphones and tablets will eclipse the PC. IDC predicts that computers share lost seven points in four years. In 2017, will have 13% of all connected equipment market, compared to 16.5% from 70.5% tablets and smart phones.

Microsoft does not pull

among manufacturers of smartphones beyond Nokia, which is now owned by the company, so it disappears as a source of income by selling version of Windows RT licencias.La Nor has triumphed, and the product offer is scarce. Therefore, Microsoft has little to lose if you decide not to charge manufacturers for these versions of Windows.

New revenue streams
Give the operating system would force Microsoft to explore the business model of Google itself. The Internet giant gets no income from their Android system, but has made the manufacturers adopt mass, creating a large park of devices that use their services and consequently consume managed search engine advertising. Microsoft should also drive other revenue streams: for example, the sale of advertising on Windows applications, and subscriptions to cloud services, such as Skype, Office or SkyDrive

.According

The Shame , the free versions of Windows could see the light in 2015, coinciding with the launch of what is known as Threshold initiative, a project that seeks to unify Xbox One, Windows and Windows Phone so they can share best apps and other content.