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Cardinal errors of Microsoft in cell phone industry
Sometimes the best method to achieve success is simple: avoid errors.

If Microsoft could avoid errors mentioned below it could achieve the same market share in cell phones as it has in operating systems for desktop computers. The list of main Microsoft´s errors in cell phone industry, according to msmobiles.com and according to feedback from community, is listed below. The biggest errors are mentioned first, the smallest last.

1. allowing operators to enforce certification limits on users
   
   Operators, thanks to having such technical possibility provided by Microsoft, are blocking users of MS Smartphones from running unsigned software. It prevents users from running of freeware/shareware software and it discourages freeware developers from developing software for MS Smartphones. Of course there is a way to software unlock MS Smartphones but it is a solution for geeks and developers - not a mass market solution. Symbian phones doesn´t have such probem and it is up to the user, in Symbian phones (not in MS Smartphone) to decide whether she/he wants to run given software, not up to the operator. "if you don´t decide which software can run in your device, then do you really own it?"
   
   
2. Microsoft Mobility Group - division where also software for cell phones is produced - is not getting enough resources
   
   While Nokia alone has tens of thousands of people working on Symbian cell phones, Microsoft´s engagement in cell phone industry is ridicolously small. Apparently Microsoft thinks, that cell phones are not a core business for this corporation, are not an important ENOUGH business for Microsoft.
   
   
3. not working hard enough to attain trust of the industry
   
   A broader question is why no one wants to do business with Microsoft? In theory = good proposition. But in practice people and companies are scared of doing business with Microsoft because of dominating position of this corporation on the software market. For example: ISVs (Indendent Software Vendors) have fear that applications they are developing may once upon a time be killed by Microsoft when it will decide to put software of the same functionality into standard equipment of the operating system or if Microsoft will also be releasing such software from itself. Microsoft have to ensure hardware vendors of MS Smarpthones, ISVs and network operators that it is beneficial and not dangerous to make business with Microsoft. It is a matter of trust.
   
   
4. .NET Compact Framework is not available for MS Smartphone 2002
   
   It is announced for upcoming next versions of MS Smartphone based on Windows CE 4.2, but Microsoft has no plans to deliver it for currently present on the market version: MS Smartphone 2002.
   
   
5. no Camera API in MS Smartphone
   
   There is therefore no way for developers to develop big number of innovative software, because access to vendor specific Camera API is very very limited, second to impossible - not to mention the fact that there is no standard in Camera API for MS Smartphone platform.
   
   
6. no free tools for developing software for .NET Compact Framework
   
   In order to develop software for .NET Compact Framework (i.e. for mobile devices like Pocket PC or MS Smarpthone) one needs to buy very expensive Visual Studio .NET 2003. Compared to this: several tools for developing wireless Java applications are free (although some are commercial).
   The .NET CF is now available for Pocket PC and is coming soon to MS Smartphone. It could be major breakthrough in acceptance of MS powered cell phones. But it is endangered by the fact that in order to develop .NET CF applications one needs to buy costly Visusal Studio .NET 2003 (around 1000 USD). While eMbedded Visual Tools (eVT) - eVC++ and eVB were free for downloading to anybody, .NET CF development tools are extremely expensive. Wireless Java, who is a main competitor to .NET CF technology, offers totally cost free development tools - Microsoft seems not to understand it.
   
   
7. no Bluetooth API in MS Smartphone
   
   It will be available in MS smartphone of next generation - the one based on Windows CE 4.2, not in MS Smartphone 2002.
   
   
8. no access to unique device ID programmatically in MS Smartphone
   
   It is possible but only with privileged access not realistic to regular applications. Lack of this unique ID access (like for example IMEI number of a phone) prevents developers from implementing succesful copy protection.
   
   
9. paying too much attention to Pocket PC and neglecting MS Smartphone
   
   MS Smartphone is a (potentially) big volume device, but Microsoft still treats Pocket PC as a holy cow of mobile devices division.
   
   
10. "no exit button/menu" requirement enforced in logo certification process
    
    It leads to situation where commercial applications don´t have "Exit" button, and many of them stay in background and slow down significantly the smartphone - what greatly deteriorates user experience.
    
    
11. Microsoft cares too much about MVPs and too less for needs of end users
    
    Microsoft is blinded by a circle of MVPs who, in many cases (not all!) instead of presenting real needs of end users, are supporting Microsoft´s decisions, even if these decisions are totally wrong from the point of view of success of given platform and from the point of view of end users. MVPs = Microsoft Valued Professionals are people active in community (newsgroups, forums, user groups and clubs) and helping users of Microsoft products. Some quote from Scott Moore (Microsoft Corp. - OEM Mobile Devices TAM): "I certainly won´t help someone that talks to our MVPs like that." - a quote that shows that Microsoft actually cares more for MVPs that are blindly supporting all (even erroneous) decisions of Microsoft, rather than listening to the real community - regular, non-MVP, users and developers.
    
    
12. ultra-expensive logo certification - hinders development of software for MS Smartphone
    
    In order to be listed in official Mobile2Market catalog of software for MS Smartphone one needs to get logo certification that costs 500 USD basic fee plus 300 USD if you fail during testing first time. But horror does not end here! If you want to release new version of your application then you need to get logo certification again and again you need to pay 500 USD. In this way developers are discouraged from developing and constantly updating software for MS Smartphone. This whole logo certification system is so much a big screw-up that developers would have to literally spend all revenues on logo certification fees if they would like to keep updating them regularly with new features (many cell phones applications are cheap - around 5-20 USD and are not gaining enough sales to cover such high logo certification fees). This situation - need to pay again and again if you update your software - results in having some old, not being often updated, smartphone applications in the Mobile2Market catalog. See also text "What´s wrong with logo certification": here.
    
    
13. Microsoft thinks that it can directly transfer experiences with Pocket PC to MS Smartphone area
    
    Big mistake! MS Smartphone is a totally different business model and totally different target markets. Thinking that one can apply experiences and solutions from PDA industry directly, without special adapting to new needs, to cell phone industry, is a big mistake that already costed Microsoft a lost market share in cell phone industry.
14. to be continued
    
    
    
    

If you think, that we have missed some point from the list please submit the missing point here (full anonymity guaranteed).