seattlePI reports that Microsoft has missed its shipment target for Windows Mobile devices. 18 million WM licenses were sold in the recently-ended M$ fiscal year - the company intended to sell more than 20mio licenses.
Microsoft’s Andy Lees claimed that Windows Mobile OEM’s are responsible for the shipment slip, but refused to say which ones are to blame (anyone want to bet that its Asus?):
“The OEMs give us predictions as to when they’ll ship the devices, and I don’t want to put them in the dunk tank, if that’s a phrase, by implying that they didn’t stay on time. That’s confidential conversations that we have.”
From a market share perspective, however, all is OK. IDC states that the WM market share has risen from 11% to 13%, and have outpassed RIM’s sales in the last four quarters. As for Apple: Microsoft managed to sell twice as many licenses as Apple managed to sell iPhones(which, however, seems to ignore the iPod touch).
Lees ended his statement by claiming that Windows Mobile is “well-poised” for the future…