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Smartphone wars - report from the battleground March 02, 2005 [General] | By Edward J. R. One picture can say more than 1000 words, so just take a look at this pie chart: 
... and keep in mind that these results are from 3rd quarter of 2004 only and are global results. Financial Times reports today, that Symbian is building an alliance against Microsoft: David Levin, current boss of Symbian, said "I don't think that our company has all answers to needs of mobile phone industry. That's why we introduce new partner program that is open for everybody". In other words: Symbian has realized that it cannot provide such wide range of solutions as Microsoft provides, because Microsoft is making also many other kinds of software... not just software for mobile phones, as Symbian does. Microsoft is a "good guy", Symbian is the bad guy. These words from David Levin however are worthless because he is fleeing next month from Symbian to British United Business Media (UBM) company. Apparently he was sick and tired of being just a puppet of Nokia. Fact: 90% of all Symbian phones sold to end customers are being branded by Nokia! Nokia has 47.9% ownership of Symbian and it would take more if we wouldn't ridicule Nokia's attempt to overtake majority in Symbian. In other words: Symbian is just a puppet of Nokia to make an illusion that there is some alternative to Microsoft. Microsoft on the other hand is not producing hardware (mobile phones) as Nokia is, and Microsoft is not cannibalizing its own license takers, as Nokia is doing, who is licensing Series 60 Symbian based platform. Buying Symbian software for mobile phones makes no sense because by doing so license takers are supporting their main competitor. Let us say it loud and clear: Symbian is not an independent company offering software for mobile phones to all hardware manufacturers. Symbian is just a puppet of Nokia to combat Microsoft's Windows Mobile. Symbian is based on dubious moral principles: selling software to your minor competitors to prevent your main competitor (here: Microsoft) from winning the smartphone wars. Symbian is based on Nokia's idea to extends its influence and to rip off also minor competitors! When buying software for mobile phones from Microsoft there is no such moral doubts at all: Microsoft is not competitor of its own license takers. However not only Symbian itself is based on dubious moral principles but also Internet based Symbian community is also morally dubious: Rafe Blandford, who jointly with Ewan Spence, owns AllAboutSymbian.com community website about Symbian, is accepting bribes from Microsoft in form of free trips to USA and in form of free gifts from Microsoft (several mobile phones). In return for these bribes Rafe Blandford is passing feedback to Microsoft. He cannot pass Symbian's trade secrets because, as he admitted to us, he is not under any NDA (non disclosure agreements) and has therefore no trade secrets to pass on. Dubious morality of AllAboutSymbian.com owners doesn't end with being bribed by Microsoft and encompasses also lack of loyalty to Symbian itself. Conclusions: the smartphone wars are not over yet and Microsoft clearly has long-term plans, not just "get rich quick" approach that morally dubious Nokia and Symbian present. We, fans of Microsoft powered phones can sleep tranquilly: here, in mobile phone industry, Microsoft is not a bad guy, it is Nokia and Symbian who are duping mobile phone industry into believing the Symbian is a nice company good for everybody. No! Symbian is a morally dubious company good in 90% only for Nokia. Microsoft is not a competitor to its partners - Windows Mobile license takers, as Symbian and Nokia are. Inspiration: Financial Times (in German). 
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