The Mobile Industry post iPhone and Android: Is there Room for a Third Platform?

Title: The Mobile Industry after iPhone and Android: Is there Room for a Third Platform?
Location: Boston University School of Management, Center for Leadership Development, 550 Commonwealth Avenue, 4th Floor

Day/Time: Wednesday May 9, 2012, 4:30 - 6:00 PM (reception to follow)

Parking pass available for attendees.

Description:

The structure and leadership of the mobile industry has changed dramatically in the past few years. Starting with the entry of Apple's iPhone and followed by the entry of Google's Android, most of the former industry leaders in the smartphone and mobile operating system segments have lost significant market share or are in serious financial trouble. In only a few years, Symbian went from having almost 70% of the market in smartphones to less than 15% today, and the company is no longer private and independent. In contrast, Android grew in just a few years from nothing to having more than 50% of the smartphone OS market in 2012. In the handset market the changes have been equally dramatic. After being leading smartphone producer for many years, Nokia has lost more than half of their market share in the last 4 years and has pinned down their recovery hopes in their new Windows-based smartphones. There is much talk about what the future of the mobile industry will be, in particularly if this will be a case of a "winner takes all" outcome (i.e. Android will dominate the mobile market as Windows did with the PC market. Many analyst believe the market can perhaps accommodate two strong platforms, and they bet that they could be Android and Apple's iOS. However, many times in the past, Microsoft has come from behind to then grab the market. Can the same situation happen in the mobile industry? Is there room for a third platform in the re-shaped mobile space? These are the questions that our panelist will analyze, after they have presented their company's view.