Solution Providers Applaud Rumors Of Samsung Play For Windows Phone

As rumors swirl of Samsung testing the Windows Phone operating system's compatibility on its hardware, Samsung partners are applauding the move, saying it could give them more flexibility as they take the solutions to the market.

According to sources in a recent The Korea Times article, Samsung may be considering different software avenues, such as the Windows 8.1 OS, to offer in addition to its primary platform, Google's Android.

Many solution providers see the new rumored undertaking as a chance for Samsung partners to offer a broader range of software options to clients.

[Related: Samsung Mulls Major Changes After Year Of Down Smartphone Sales]

Douglas Grosfield, CEO of Cambridge, Ontario-based solution provider Xylotek Solutions, which partners primarily with Blackberry and Lenovo, said "it's a good sign" for Samsung partners to have multiple software offerings for clients.

"It gives us a lot of reasons to have discussions with customers that truly fit into the heterogeneous environment without having to pigeonhole them into one technology," he explained. "The only potential drawback is the concept of interchangeability. If consumers aren't sure which is the best product, this move could give them too many choices and muddy the waters a little bit."

From a solution provider's perspective, Grosfield noted that Samsung seems to be "covering all the bases."

"Samsung is trying a lot of different things right now… it put a lot of time and money into its own operating system [Tizen] and it still has a long-term, strong relationship with the Android platform," he said.

Reports of the Samsung-Microsoft partnership accumulate as the vendor's feature phone and smartphone sales weakened in the third quarter of 2014 compared to sales in previous years. According to IDC, the popular vendor fell to 23.7 percent of worldwide market share in 2014, while in the previous year it held 32.2 percent.

Despite dropping market share, Samsung still holds top rank over vendor competitors like Apple, Xiaomi, Lenovo and LG, but may be looking for other outlets to turn around its weakening sales record, said Jack Narcotta, devices analyst for Hampton, N.H.-based market research firm Technology Business Research, Inc.

"From an overall perspective, Samsung is in some ways reacting to a slowdown in its smartphone market and exploring new avenues," said Narcotta. "My gut instinct is that it's trying [Windows Phone] out and re-evaluating where it stands in the mobile systems market. Samsung is in a good enough position where if the tests with Microsoft don't pan out it wouldn't be a catastrophic loss."

NEXT: Solution Providers: Multiple Software Systems Is Emerging Trend

Stephen Manteros, vice president of business development and strategic initiatives at Ontario-based SIGMAnet, echoed the benefits that solution providers could reap from a potential Samsung partnership with Microsoft.

SIGMAnet, a solution provider specializing in the education market, partners with Apple, Dell, and Microsoft, among other vendors.

"We're looking at this as Samsung trying to establish operability across multiple platforms and put chips on all different squares," Manteros said. "I see it as a good thing."

Looking forward, Xylotek Solution's Grosfield noted an emerging trend of vendors looking for multiple software platforms in their mobile markets, a movement he said was spearheaded in part by Lenovo's partnership last year with Microsoft, in addition to Android.

"I find it interesting that in such a hyper-competitive space as the mobile world, there has been this much inter-breeding this year," he said. "Lenovo set a great example and I think Samsung is recognizing this. Kudos to Lenovo for breaking ground in this area."