A year ago, Cisco predicted that there would be 50 billion network-connected devices by the year 2020. New estimates are forecasting that some 38.5 billion devices will make up the Internet of Things by 2020. As a new market projected to be worth 1.7 trillion dollars, it is attracting the attention of major industry players. Microsoft, in particular, seems to be mobilizing a dedicated effort aimed at owning a chunk of this emerging market. After losing the battle for the mobile market to Apple and Google, Microsoft was left with a meager 3% of the mobile market share. Undeterred, Microsoft has said that they want their new Windows 10 on every connected device that comprises the Internet of Things and is taking major steps towards realizing this goal.
Microsoft and the Internet of Things
Microsoft has repeated time and time again that Windows 10 will be the universal operating system of choice for all kinds of devices, including computers, tablets, and phones as well as the many sensors, controls, and other gadgets that make up the Internet of Things. In order to do this, Windows 10 is being developed and released on previously-unexplored …show more content…
In a market already saturated, Microsoft hopes to leverage a unified experience across phones, computers, tablets, and all other kinds of connected devices. An app developed for a Windows 10 computer, for example, should be able to work on a phone or a tablet just as well. This seamless meshing between hardware platforms promotes faster and more efficient development of new gadgets. In fact, this alone is a major reason for everyone, even the average user, to upgrade to Windows 10. By taking advantage of the blurred lines between different kinds of hardware, it is possible to enjoy a more streamlined and intuitive experience when apps on your phone work exactly the same as apps on your