Microsoft has unveiled a set of tools that will allow Android developers to quickly compile the code for their apps for Windows Phone devices.
This should lead to a huge increase in apps available for Windows Phone devices, with a lack of apps being one of the main problems that Microsoft has faced with its mobile offerings.
"We want to enable developers to leverage their current code and current skills to start building those Windows applications in the Store, and to be able to extend those applications," said Terry Myerson, a spokesperson for Microsoft, in an interview.
The move should help Microsoft in the mobile space in a big way. Microsoft owns a tiny percentage of the mobile market. While Android controls around 76.6 percent of the mobile market and iOS controls around 19.7 percent, Windows controls only 2.8 percent. The announcement by Microsoft is an effort to help the company grow in its mobile offerings.
There is some question, however, as to whether this is the right way forward for Microsoft. While the move will make it easier for developers to release their apps to Windows Phone, that doesn't mean that it will be totally simple. Whether developers choose to take advantage of the new tools or not is another question entirely, and if they don't, Microsoft will be in the same position as far as mobile goes.
It's important to note that, contrary to some reports, the move will not allow Windows to run Android apps, but rather it will make it far easier for developers to bring their apps to Windows Phone. Developers have long avoided Windows Phone as a platform to release apps to simply because of the fact that so few people use Windows Phone devices. There is no guarantee that this will change with Microsoft's new unveiling.
There is also no guarantee that the new tools will help move apps over to Windows Phone without removing many of the features.
Apps developed for Windows Phone often are not as sophisticated or functional as those developed for iOS and Android. It will be interesting to see whether or not this will hold true with these new tools.
Only time will tell if Microsoft is able to kickstart its mobile presence through a move like this. If it works, we could see a new dominant force in the mobile market in the very near future.
