Bill gates reflects on $400 (CAD 575) billion misstep in mobile tech
Bill Gates, regarded as a technological visionary, admits that his biggest mistake was neglecting the mobile operating systems market. This oversight allowed Google to create Android, which dominated the market and achieved the success that could have belonged to Microsoft.
Bill Gates, the well-known founder of Microsoft, is among the wealthiest individuals globally and is hailed as a significant technological visionary. Despite numerous successes, Gates highlights a substantial error that greatly influenced the trajectory of new technology development.
One such mistake, as he acknowledged, was overlooking the potential of mobile operating systems, which allowed Google to dominate the market with Android.
Gates admits to a mistake
Gates admitted that insufficient involvement in the development of the mobile market proved to be surprisingly costly for his company, with losses reaching approximately 400 billion dollars (575 billion Canadian dollars). In 2007, when Apple introduced the first iPhone with the iOS system, Microsoft had a chance to respond with its own solution. However, this opportunity was not seized, benefiting Google.
The debut of Android in September 2008 strengthened Google's market position. Although Microsoft launched Windows Phone 7 in 2010, it was already too late to counter the dominance of Apple and Google. Gates emphasizes that the primary issue for Windows Phone was the limited number of available apps. The closed nature of the system resembled iOS, whereas Android, being an open system, quickly gained user approval due to its extensive offering of applications.
The competition took advantage
Rich Miner, one of the creators of Android, points out that the desire to create a competitive system against Microsoft was a key motivation in developing Android. Consequently, Android became an innovative system that surpassed Microsoft's mobile initiatives, attracting software developers and gaining an advantage in the market.
Android is an operating system based on the Linux kernel, developed by Android Inc., which was acquired by Google in 2005. The first version of the system was released in 2008 and was initially intended for smartphones, offering openness and adaptability for device manufacturers. Over the years, Android has become one of the most popular mobile systems in the world, evolving with new features such as support for smartwatches, TVs, cars, and IoT devices.
