Windows 8 and Big Promises: Can Business Apps Reach Critical Mass?

With the Windows 8 release less than three weeks away Microsoft is making noise about how many devices it can sell - 400 million in nine months, apparently. Though their installed user base provides something of a head start, concerns over the OS's tablet focus and a lack of business-specific apps in the Windows Store have some analysts wondering if these claims are more fiction than fact.

Of Apps and Ads

Apps are a key aspect of Windows 8. Microsoft wants 100,000 available in their store 90 days after the new OS hits the market, but with approximately 2500 for purchase right now, this is a massive undertaking. What's more, recent data from Microsoft Taiwan (subscription required) indicates that while 75-80% of apps in the store are consumer focused, only 5% represent line of business applications such as CRM or ERM.

As for Dynamics, Windows 8 plans have also started to come into focus. For example, Microsoft reps have confirmed that Silverlight-based plug-ins like those planned for Dynamics GP 2013 won't run with Internet Explorer 10 in the Metro chrome-less interface of Windows 8 (though it will work in desktop mode).  And new Perpetual Licensing for Dynamics GP and NAV 2013 should allow for creative new approaches to accessing ERP data via third party apps, like the ones Microsoft would love to see more of for Windows 8.

The Dynamics CRM product team is committed to its new HTML5-based interface for its Q2 2013 "...