A Call to Zunes: Microsoft’s Need to Expand Zune’s Market to Flourish

This week saw the release of the new generation of Zunes that heralded in a new entire system. Touchscreen combined with a nVidia Tegra chip ensures that the user will be sure to enjoy a powerful media experience… but only in the United States? What gives?

Microsoft has Windows releases in practically every major language, and on all major continents, and countries? So why haven’t they done the same with the Zune?

If it’s just that Microsoft doesn’t release hardware outside the United States, that would be untrue. The Xbox 360 has proven to be a successful console outside the home country of the Microsoft Corporation, but yet the Zune has yet to even be introduced into those very same markets that the Xbox 360 is now enjoying success in. It leaves a resounding “Why” upon all users lips, and minds. Why would they not share the Zune HD with the UK or at the very least Canada?

There are Spanish, and French language settings that have been introduced into the Zune 2nd Generation with the 3.0 firmware. This would enabled the Zune to fit at home in markets where Spanish, and French were the dominant languages.

Is it just that Microsoft doesn’t want to open a market where ever they cannot open up a Zune Marketplace alongside it? This author thinks this must be the case, especially with the push to make new users of the Zune HD or new users of the Zune 4.0 software to purchase a Zune Pass. The new Smart DJ feature tells the program users about how the experience could be better with pass. While this may be a good move to make the hardware profitable, it is in this author’s opinion that it will hurt the chances for the Zune HD to take market-share away from competitors.

The Zune HD is a nice device, but limited market availability does hurt potential sales in markets where there is a clearly an interest, but having no access to purchase the device without using secondhand means, does off-put a large potential user base.

Thus, it should behoove Zune users to unite to push Microsoft into selling the HD in other markets. First start off somewhere easy, and close by such as Canada then expand to the European market. This is what will make the Zune hardware attractable to a larger audience as in the United States there is an supersaturation of portable media devices. The biggest competitor that Microsoft has in the United States spends massive amounts of money on advertisement so that they can buy the notion that their product is the only product in the average mindset of the populace.

To keep playing at this game puts Microsoft at a clear disadvantage. Why not play from the side, build up steam in other markets, and gather strength then push forward in the U.S. Market against the juggernaut. Or is this author asking Microsoft to do something that is quite far from being sensible?

Should Microsoft expand into other markets or just continue the fight in the United States?

- E.Dan Stebbins

Semi-related P.S.

For a possible expansion idea on the home front, they could work to getting Zune software up, and running on Mac OSX, and Linux. It would allow them to keep their Zune Marketplace, and Zune hardware / software sync, but would also allow developing countries, and others to get in on the Zune experience. After all, the largest portable media competitor has ensured their software works on their competitor’s operating system. Just a possible idea to serve as food for thought.