Is Apple iPhone the Main Target Behind Microsoft-Yahoo! Pact?

The technology market is afire with news of Microcrosoft acquiring another giant Yahoo! But industry experts find it hard to consider it merely an acquisition bid for just the money coming from advertisements. Besides benefiting from Yahoo’s online capabilities, they believe that ‘Microsoft has had more success with mobile operating systems than in mobilizing its Internet properties; and experts feel that Yahoo! Go platform would work extremely well for Microsoft.

Now, talking of market share, Apple which is said to have shipped nearly 4 million iPhones in 2007 with the target of achieving 10 million sales in 2008 has been one of the prime promoters of the Multitouch technology. Microsoft on the other hand says it will ship around 20 million smartfones in 2008 for Windows Mobile.

While experts consider Apple a much innovative challenger gaining a considerable mindshare over market shares. It regular innovation and up gradation of the iPhone since its launch in mid- 200 7 has been a constant threat to competitors like technology giants like Microsoft.

Therefore, this coming together of Microsoft and Yahoo! is like sending a signal out to Apple iPhones of probable market redistribution. However, Apple is all set to take the challenge, as it launched its 16 GB double storage capacity iPhone model, upgrading from the usual 8GB and that too at attractive prices with the hike of just $100. Now you can buy a 16 GB memory iPhone with just $499 while an 8GB model is available for $399.

It is expected that Apple will leave no stones unturned to maintain the sizable market share it is enjoying, even if the threat of a Microsoft-Yahoo! attempt to take on Apple iPhones. Moreover, Apple is also contemplating expanding iPhones worldwide market share from countries it holds presently – United States, UK, Germany to countries like Italy, Spain and Switzerland in the coming months.

Reports indicate that Apple Inc’s usage share of mobile devices online is rapidly-growing at the rate of 0.17% which is almost triple that of Microsoft’s stagnant rate of 0.06%, which stays affected since the launch of Apple iPhone in June 2007.