Canalys predicts that in 2014, Tablets will make 50% of PC shipments. This will amount to 285 million global Tablet shipments. Interestingly they predict big growth in Microsoft’s market share from 2% of global shipment in 2013 to 5% of overall Tablet shipment in 2014. This gives us a volume of 14.2 million Windows 8/RT Tablet shipments in 2014. Canalys also mentions Nokia’s Device & services division’s acquisition by Microsoft as a major shift and that it brings it a step closer to being a fully fledged smart mobile device vendor.
Canalys forecasts that Microsoft will take 5% of the tablet PC market in 2014, up from just 2% in 2012. “2014 will see another major shift for the company as the Nokia acquisition brings it a step closer to being a fully-fledged smart mobile device vendor. As a vendor Microsoft needs to prove to channel partners and consumers that it is in this market for the long haul. Balancing the cooperation with its vendor partners and embracing a “challenger” rather than an “incumbent” mentality is essential. “To improve its position it must drive app development and better utilize other relevant parts of its business to round out its mobile device ecosystem,” said Canalys Research Analyst Pin Chen Tang. “A critical first step is to address the coexistence of Windows Phone and Windows RT. Having three different operating systems to address the smart device landscape is confusing to both developers and consumers alike.”
Source: Canalys
