Abstract
The mobile operating system market is relatively recent. Many major companies hailing from the computer and mobile sector are competing in order to take over this huge market. Until very recently, each mobile manufacturer developed its own proprietary operating system. Most of the mobile phones were not compatible, even those of the same brand. The digital convergence, the high costs of proprietary environmental systems development and a global willingness to move towards an open operating system encouraged the market to change directions.
The enterprise market made the first step. It needed a mobile OS that could be integrated in its information system in order to have a better control over their workforce and ensure an efficient information sharing. We can now identify several vendors trying to develop their market shares in this sector. Microsoft, Symbian (Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, Motorola and PSION), RIM-BlackBerry, PALM, Linux and newcomer Apple are competing and trying to dominate this market. All of them are applying different strategies and taking advantage of their different strengths.
All these companies come from related markets, the mobile phone/handheld industry or the computer OS market. They have very good experience of the customers needs, but they are still using completely differentapproaches.The stakes in the mobile operating system market are huge. More than 990 million mobile phones were sold around the world in 2006 whereas “only” 330 million computers were sold at the same time.
For the time being, OS are only integrated in Smartphones which represent40 million units. However, this number is expected to rise to 160 million units by 2009, a 400% growth in three years.Such a bullish market could be considered a positive indication of growth for these companies.We will try to understand the benefits they hope to achieve from it.During this research, I will try to understand to what extent competitive advantages are useful
