Enterprises more accepting of Android, while Windows is losing ground

Enterprises are increasingly interested in developing apps for Android-based smartphones and tablets, showing how Google’s OS is becoming more accepted, according to a poll. At the same time fewer are willing to spend resources on Microsoft’s OSes.

For the second time, cross-platform tool company Appcelerator has queried IT directors, CEOs, development directors, CTOs and people in a number of other roles what their priorities are in the mobile market. The results hint at how the enterprise arena is slipping away from Microsoft, while at the same time acceptance for Android is growing and iOS is the number one priority.

As part of the survey, Appcelerator asked the 804 participants how interested they were in developing consumer and enterprise apps for the various mobile platforms. Apple was on top, with 80 percent saying they were very interested in developing applications for the company’s smartphones and tablets, which is roughly the same response elicited by the first quarter version of the survey.

The third-highest priority was Android-based smartphones, which 71 percent of the respondents said they were very interested in, an increase of 7 percentage points from the first quarter. But unlike Apple, Google and its hardware partners have so far failed to convince enterprises that Android-based tablets are as important as smartphones based on the OS. Fifty-nine percent stated they were very interested, though that was an increase compared to 52 percent during the first quarter survey.

“Android interest is increasing ... there are probably a few reasons for that. One could certainly be because of Android’s strong overall market share and with BYOD enterprises have to build apps for multiple platforms,” said Nolan Wright, co-founder and CTO at Appcelerator.

After that, there is a big gap down to Windows-based smartphones and tablets, at 26 percent and 25 percent, respectively, compared to 29 percent and 30 percent in the first quarter study. To add insult to injury more than 60 percent thought that Windows 8 would ultimately fail as a mobile platform.

“That is probably a reflection of market demand. I think Windows hasn’t done too well in the market, and the interest for developing apps is following that. It will be interesting to see what happens with Nokia,” Wright said.

Earlier this month Microsoft announced it would buy Nokia’s Devices & Services business in an effort to beef up its mobility push. Wright thinks the deal could help change Windows’ fortunes.

“From what we hear there is a genuine interest in the enterprise for Microsoft to have viable products. So it certainly still has an opportunity,” Wright said.

But Microsoft isn’t the only vendor struggling to drum up developer interest for its platform. Only 12 percent said they were very interested in developing apps for BlackBerry phones, which is two percentage points better than in the first quarter study but still a much smaller share than competing OSes.

On Friday, BlackBerry said it would as part of its efforts to stay alive refocus on enterprises. To succeed the company will have to convince them to use its devices, and an important part of that is making sure apps are available.

For enterprises that want to build applications for multiple platforms at the same time, HTML5 is an option. Sixty percent of the respondents said they were very interested in developing mobile, HTML-based Web apps, making them a higher priority than native applications for BlackBerry and Windows devices as well as Android-based tablets.

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Microsoft to rename SkyDrive after losing trademark suit

Microsoft will be forced to rename its SkyDrive cloud storage service after failing to defend its trademark against U.K. broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting.

BSkyB, as the service is more commonly called, filed suit against Microsoft in 2011 in the English High Court, successfully arguing that the “Sky” portion of its name could be confused with Microsoft’s own SkyDrive, and that Microsoft’s use of the name SkyDrive infringed Sky’s rights in the ‘Sky’ mark.

In June, Microsoft lost the case in England and Wales, and failed on appeal as well.

For Microsoft, losing the case will have financial consequences, as the company will be forced to rewrite promotional materials, which have increasingly focused upon SkyDrive as the glue that holds its various software services together. Microsoft hasn’t said how much it will all cost, but will probably provide an accounting in subsequent earnings reports, if the amount is materially significant.

BSkyB said that the settlement included “financial and other terms,” which suggests a financial settlement as well.. However, Microsoft will be allowed to use the SkyDrive name for a “reasonable amount of time,” the company said in a statement.

For its part, Microsoft was apparently happy to put the matter behind it.

MicrosoftA typical SkyDrive account (new name to come later...)

“We’re glad to have resolution of this naming dispute, and will continue to deliver the great service our hundreds of millions of customers expect, providing the best way to always have your files with you,” Microsoft said in a statement. Company representatives declined to comment further.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, this is the second high-profile branding effort that’s been marred by a trademark dispute. After promoting the “Metro” design schema within Windows 8, Microsoft was then sued by a German company, Metro AG,  also for trademark infringement.

Microsoft quietly began moving away from using the “Metro” description soon thereafter, replacing it with either “Modern” or just “Windows 8” to describe the look and feel of apps within its Start page interface.

The rebranding also takes place after Microsoft beefed up SkyDrive’s photo capabilities. New users who sign up for Microsoft’s services via a Hotmail or Outlook.com email address receive 7GB of SkyDrive storage for free, for storing photos, documents, and other files, with paid options to add more.

What  effect will the rebranding have on you? Probably nothing, in the long run. Over time, Microsoft will most likely roll out point updates for the services and apps affected by the ruling, simply replacing the name with an updated moniker.

Yes, this will cost Microsoft development resources, and will probably cause some consumer confusion, as well. But the court ruling ties Microsoft’s hands.

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