Microsoft had asked HTC to put WP on Android devices

It's been nearly three years since Windows Phone released and although it has improved since then the progress hasn't been scintillating. With market share still lagging far behind Android and iOS, Microsoft is now having to take desperate measures to ensure success in a market which they once dominated.

One such measure has been to ask HTC to install Windows Phone on their existing Android device. That is, the phone will ship with both operating systems and users could then switch between them, as we have seen on some tablets already. To sweeten the deal for HTC, Microsoft even offered to waive off the fee that it usually charges for licensing the Windows Phone OS.

Having Windows Phone running on Android phones means people would get to try Windows Phone without actually buying a Windows Phone. A lot of people would be interested in trying out the OS but don't want to commit to it, especially considering all that other platforms have to offer. Considering Android's popularity, people can buy an Android phone and at the same time get to try Windows Phone, which Microsoft believes would help increase the operating system's marketshare.

Having said that, with HTC currently floundering with even its Android handsets and having reported their first quarterly loss, I'm not sure if this strategy is going to help MIcrosoft out a lot.

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