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 sole Windows RT tablet vendor as Dell's XPS 10 is 'unavailable'

Dell's XPS 10 tablet models with Windows RT have been removed from the company's website, which analysts said could leave Microsoft as the only vendor selling ARM-based tablets running versions of Windows RT.

The XPS 10 Web page lists models of the tablet as being "unavailable," and points users to the Latitude 10 tablet, which runs Windows 8 and has an Intel Atom processor. Microsoft, which sells Surface RT, is now the only device maker selling a tablet with Windows RT.

Dell is holding an event in New York on Oct. 2 where the company will announce new tablets. The company did not comment on whether a new Windows RT 8.1 would be launched, but has showed a new 8-inch Venue tablet with Android OS and the Intel Atom processor code-named Bay Trail.

"We're going to be announcing our full tablet portfolio at the event in New York next week," said a Dell spokeswoman in an email

Dell was the only device maker other than Microsoft selling a Windows RT tablet after Lenovo, Asus and Samsung bailed out on the device. Dell is holding its tablet event ahead of Microsoft's release of Windows 8.1 RT as a free download for existing Windows RT devices after Oct. 18. Microsoft on Monday announced Surface 2, which is the first tablet based on Windows 8.1 RT.

Analysts said Dell could launch an XPS 10 successor with Windows RT 8.1, but chances are remote.

Right now, no device maker is interested in Windows RT other than Microsoft with its Surface 2, said Patrick Moorhead, founder and president of Moor Insights and Strategy.

"I think all we can assume is that Dell sold out their current inventory of RT tablets," Moorhead said.

Lenovo, Asus and Samsung have announced new Windows 8.1 hybrids with Intel chips, but have not indicated they would relaunch an RT product based on an ARM processor.

Companies typically don't stop selling products that are doing well, and the discontinuation of XPS 10 is just the latest RT failure, said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates.

"I just don't see why you would stop selling your existing product until the new product comes out," Gold said.

A Dell tablet with Windows RT 8.1 product could be announced next month, but that wouldn't be a smart business decision, Gold said.

"If they do, they will be bucking the trend of other vendors getting out of RT," Gold said.

But there are always exceptions, and there is a remote possibility that Dell may give Windows 8.1 RT a try with a new tablet. But in the long run, Dell is moving to Android and Windows 8 for its tablets, said Bob O'Donnell, vice president for clients and displays research at IDC.

Existing XPS 10 users will likely get an upgrade to Windows 8.1 RT, O'Donnell said. The XPS 10 runs on a Snapdragon chipset with Qualcomm, which has collaborated with Microsoft on the new OS.

Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam's e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com