If there were one area where Microsoft’s Windows Phone devices should be doing well it is within business. Nokia have just posted a new video extolling the headline features of Windows Phone 8 to the corporate crowd.
Even though Windows Phone has a whole feature set designed to be consumer friendly, it also has arguably the best office friendly apps too, mobile office anyone?
Microsoft has definitely taken the right angle with how they have chosen to pitch their Windows Phone OS primarily at consumers. With the rise in ‘bring your own devices’ in the workplace many people buy based on what the phone can do for them rather than their work needs. The really cool thing is that Windows Phone also has the all the business credentials to be a big hit in the corporate world. It has the best version of mobile Office baked in, with apps for SharePoint and Lync filling out the offering even further.
Windows Phone 8 introduces the ability to deliver corporate apps to devices as well as better device security. Even without Office, the OS would still have deeply integrated LinkedIn abilities and an email client that works great with Exchange. Should be mention the now-native Skype integration and ability to hook up other VoIP apps if needed?
Nokia have chosen to highlight, in good straight talking business speak the advantages of Windows Phone. They highlight one key fact, if your business is running Microsoft it’s time to switch the phone where Microsoft comes as standard. They go on to fully explain that Excel, Word, Exchange and PowerPoint are all present and correct. It’s a neat video and they do a quick job and efficient job of explaining in no uncertain terms why their Lumia’s are good for the workplace.
Serious business - Lumia 920 Office built in
The highly amusing part of this whole thing is that neither Android nor Apple currently has a native Office experience. Apple looks now to be keen to get their hands on a whopping 30% of revenue from a future Office app on their iOS platform which may put the release on hold permanently. While many reviewers and pundits continue to bleat on about the apps that don’t exist on Windows Phone (a Starbucks app, really??!), the platform continues to be the only one with Office. For document fidelity and compatibility there is simply no better alternative as much as they would like you to believe otherwise. Oh, and generally you’ll need to pay for a decent Office-like substitute, its free over here folks!
If Office were to appear in any form on Android or iOS we all know this would be the biggest tech news of the year, although some may disagree with that. Windows Phone has Office now; it has bit locker encryption and should be a no-brainer in the workplace. Nokia are already seeing a new way to push their devices, it is high time Microsoft started to push this message too. While many have been quick to count Blackberry out of the running they are about to unleash a new version of their mobile OS. It will do much to bring them back on form and as they already have many business connections it could mean Windows Phone will fail to get the look in it deserves. That is still some way off; in the meantime we’re glad that Nokia are engaging the business crowd with their ads.
Are you working in an IT department, we’d like to hear from you. Is Blackberry on the decline, has Windows Phone 8 got the business excited? Please sound off in the comments below.
