Windows 10 to allow easy porting of apps from Android and iOS platforms

By Nirupama V

BENGALURU: Consumer-facing startups such as online grocery stores and food suppliers may end their bias against Windows while offering apps, as they expect the new version of the operating system to open up access to a new set of customers with minimal effort.

The Windows 10 platform, which will be released on July 29 for PCs and tablets, followed by an update for smartphones, will enable developers to port apps from Android and iOS platforms with very little effort. The update will be freely available across all Microsoft devices and will enable developers to make apps that work on not just on phones and tablets, but PCs as well.

App developers were going slow on Windows versions because the thin base of smartphone users on the Microsoft-developed platform didn’t entice them to spend time and money.

Faaso’s, the food-on-demand chain which is moving away from its physical stores into the app-space, hasn’t updated its Windows app for months now, citing bandwidth issues. "As soon as the portability option is made available, we will update the Windows app, as we do have a loyal customer base there," said cofounder Revant Bhate.

Android-only food ordering app Spoonjoy has submitted its upcoming iOS app for review and is working on a Windows version as well. Crownit, a deal discovery and cashback platform, said it has been getting frequent requests asking for a Windows app.

It is natural for a Windows smartphone user to feel ignored in a city like Bengaluru, with apps including Grofers, BigBasket, Crownit, Freshmenu, Practo, Tinyowl and News in Shorts, which have a strong presence here, turning a blind eye on them. And in smaller cities and towns, it is worse.

App developers prefer Android because of its brutal leadership in the market – in India, the app holds a 91% share. Still, some 10.75 million people are on Windows phones as of March 2015, show Counterpoint Research data. Its market share increased to 5% from 2.5% at the end of 2014, driven by the Lumia phones, the research firm said.

In India, Apple’s iOS is No. 3, behind Android and Windows. But app developers still find it attractive.

"Apple has premium users. So, even if it’s a small market, it plays a good role," said Azhar Iqubal, cofounder of News in Shorts, which now has an iOS app. Some startups now see Windows an opportunity, because it is an unexplored, but growing, market.

Grofers, the app that allows consumers to order online from local shops and get express deliveries, for instance, started hiring developers for Windows as it expanded into small cities. Albinder Dhindsa, the cofounder, said the number of requests it had received for the introduction of a Windows app had been substantially high after it moved into new cities.

But it is not easy. "It is also a little more difficult to find developers for Windows than it is for Android," said Dhindsa. Microsoft says things will become smooth.

"Initially, these apps (once ported) will work exactly like the counterparts (Android or iOS). But, later, they will be able to make use of Windows features (such as live-tile feature)," said Harish Vaidyanathan, director of Independent Software Vendor programmes at Microsoft. "It’s the easiest way to get in." Alok Goel, former chief executive of Freecharge, sees opportunity in this for startups. "This will increase the number of apps on Windows by many fold and help in growing its user base in the country. Any startup should immediately use this if it works," he said.

"Windows phones are now used by a lot of youngsters, so any app that wants to target students and young professionals can’t ignore that space," Goel added. While app portability will enable the release of a Windows app, only companies who are ready to expand will be able to pull it off. Ganesh Balakrishnan, co-founder of mobile-payment app Momoe, said: "There will be at least 20% chances of it not working on some devices or something not functioning because porting an app just magnifies chances of errors and the team must have the capability to address these issues."