Microsoft is asking Android owners to share their malware stories, in an attempt to lure them to Nokia‘s Windows devices, as the software giant ramps up marketing for the U.S. launch.
In a Twitter post, Microsoft “evangelist” team member Ben Rudolph urged his followers, “Share your Android malware story (there’s lots going around) and you could win a #windowsphone upgrade.” The post used the hashtag #DroidRage. Microsoft then re-posted the Tweet on its official page.
Google‘s Android Market has come under fire recently for increasing numbers of malware attacks, since the store is open-source and apps are not screened prior to being made available to consumers. Google removed over 100 suspicious apps over the past year, so many Android smartphone users may accept Rudolph’s invite to vent about problems they’ve experienced as a result of malware.
Microsoft is capitalizing on Google’s troubles, hoping users fed up with spam attacks will convert to Windows phones, which the company claims will be more secure. Google’s Android is the world’s largest smartphone platform, while Microsoft holds only a two-percent market share in the competitive U.S. smartphone market, which is dominated by Android and Apple.
Microsoft’s hard-hitting strategy to filch customers from Android began months ago in anticipation of Nokia’s Windows-based Lumia phones, which are selling out in the U.K. and slated to launch in the U.S. early next year.
In October, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer panned Android phones, stating “You don’t need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows phone. And I think you do to use an Android phone.”
Earlier this month, Microsoft released a free demo of the Windows Mango operating system that ran on Apple and Android phones, allowing potential Windows users to get a feel for the new software even on rival devices.
Consumers appear excited about the Lumia phones, and nearly half of current smartphone users say they would consider switching to a Windows-based device. Many have used Windows software on their PCs for years, and are comfortable with the popular “tiled” interface, which may prove a strong draw for the new phones.
Microsoft knows that despite its popularity with PC users, it will have to come out swinging to lure customers away from their current smartphones to the company’s own OS, and it seems to be employing several clever, low-level tactics to do just that.
If these recent actions are any indication, the road leading up to the U.S. launch of Nokia’s Windows-based Lumia phones may be a bumpy one for Android.
Want the scoop on mobile news? Subscribe to our Facebook or Twitter page. This post originally appeared at Mobiledia.
Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mobiledia/2011/12/14/microsoft-urges-android-malware-victims-to-join-windows/
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