Microsoft releases Windows Phone 8 syncing app for Windows 8 and RT
With less than 24 hours to go until Microsoft takes the covers off Windows Phone 8 once and for all, the company has released a companion app in the Windows Store that'll work in tandem with the new devices.
Context & Ripple Effects
Microsoft is pairing its Windows 8 and RT rollout, including the October 27 Surface launch, with software intended to make its phone part of the same device environment. That matters because Microsoft had acknowledged it was behind in smartphones. Its planned Lync app for both Windows 8 and RT also showed the company building services across the two PC form factors.
First-order effects
- Windows Phone 8 owners using Windows 8 or RT gain a Microsoft-distributed companion app for synchronizing their new phones with those PCs and tablets.
- Microsoft gives Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Phone 8 a shared setup and management touchpoint through the Windows Store.
Second-order effects
- Surface and other Windows RT device sellers gain a clearer phone-integration feature to present alongside the new hardware, while Windows Phone 8 gains a reason for Windows 8 and RT users to stay within Microsoft's devices.
- Microsoft must make the companion experience dependable across its PC and tablet software, since synchronization becomes a direct part of the Windows Phone 8 proposition.
Third-order effects
- If Microsoft keeps extending shared apps and synchronization across Windows 8, RT, and Windows Phone, its competitive position will depend less on each device in isolation and more on the usefulness of the combined Windows device environment.
The trend: Microsoft is using shared apps and device synchronization to turn its PC, tablet, and phone releases into a more connected Windows platform.