Microsoft to pay AT&T reps $200 million in the U.S. to recommend Windows Phone models

If you can't beat 'em, pay someone off to beat 'em. That seems to be what Microsoft has in mind in order to raise Windows Phone sales in the U.S. The plan is to pay AT&T staff $10 to $15 for each Windows Phone handset sold as a direct result of a recommendation to a customer. Obviously, Microsoft believes that its mobile OS cannot compete on its merits alone at this stage in the game.

Looking at a chart of global OS marketshare, you can see that Android has been in a major uptrend through the third quarter of last year. Symbian's trend resembles RIM's stock price and iOS has been steady. The graph, based on data from Gartner, shows that Windows Phone had only 2.7% of the market by the end of last September.

Microsoft says it will spend up to $200 million on the plan. Will it be enough for Windows Phone to pick up marketshare? That answer will need some more time to see how things play out. But next time you head into an AT&T store to buy a new phone, don't be surprised if you are shown Windows Phone models first, even if you tell the rep that you want something else.

Some might look at this plan by Microsoft as cheating somehow, while others would just call it another form of promoting the software. What do you think? Let us know by commenting in the box below.

source: AndroidAuthority