Tired of the Apple/Android duopoly, Telef贸nica partners with Microsoft
Telef贸nica signs deal with Microsoft to promote sales of Windows Phone 8 in six countries
Telef贸nica signs deal with Microsoft to promote sales of Windows Phone 8 in six countries
In the world of smart phones, two brand names have come to dominate the industry: Apple and Android. But the Spain-based, multinational phone company, Telef贸nica, is out to change this 鈥渄uopoly.鈥澛�
Telef贸nica will establish 鈥渁n enhanced marketing effort鈥� with Microsoft to boost the sales of Windows Phone 8 devices and balance out the cellphone market, the company announced on Wednesday. The company will promote Microsoft's phone OS in six countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile.
Telef贸nica is the fifth-largest mobile operator by number of customers, according to its website.
Microsoft was chosen because of its 鈥渙perator-focused business approach,鈥� says Jos茅 Mar铆a 脕lvarez Pallete, COO of Telef贸nica,聽in a聽statement. 鈥淭he Microsoft business culture is based on a model of value creation through its partner-associates, which fits in perfectly with our culture and also our way of doing business,鈥� Mr. 脕lvarez says.
The service provider will offer features such as Skydrive, Office 365, and SharePoint to entice consumers away from the familiar formatting of Apple and Android.聽
Telef贸nica鈥檚 partnership with Microsoft is a continuation of Microsoft鈥檚 battle to stake a firmer place in the cellphone operating system market.
In February 2011, Nokia and Microsoft announced a similar partnership deal that made Windows the primary operating system used by Nokia smart phones.
In March 2013, Microsoft鈥檚 Windows Phone overtook Blackberry, in terns of devices shipped worldwide, boosting Windows up to 3.2 percent of the market shares, with BlackBerry at 2.9 percent, according to an International Data Corporation first quarter report.
Android and Apple iOS combined account for 92.3 percent of all smart phone shipments during the first quarter of 2013.聽