Microsoft’s refusal to give up in mobile might soon pay off, if a new report from research outfit Strategy Analytics Inc. is to be believed. The market research firm claims the Redmond will become the fastest-growing maker of tablet operating systems by 2019 as Windows 10 adoption increases.

Strategy Analytics reckons Microsoft will boost its share of the tablet operating system market from 10 percent to 18 percent in just four year’s time. In contrast, Android’s market share will tumble from 68 percent now to 59 percent in 2019, while iOS’s share will grow ever so slightly to 23 percent, from 22 percent today.

It’s a crumb of comfort for Microsoft, which has long struggled to catch up with the dominance of Android and iOS devices after entering the mobile market late in the game.

The key driver for Microsoft’s growth will be Windows 10, which Strategy Analytics says will have a big impact on business buyers in the coming years.

“Windows 10 provides a stable base from which the ecosystem can grow and we are entering a world where Windows tablets take significant market share from Android tablets on the low end and compete head-to-head with iPad in the high and premium segments,” said Peter King, research director for tablet and touchscreen strategies at Strategy Analytics.

One thing in Microsoft’s favor is that enterprises are “increasingly open” to the idea of deploying tablets on a wide scale. Redmond has a “key advantage” in the enterprise due to its grip on the PC and server markets, the analyst said.

“Most, if not all, major vendors will have high-to-premium tier Windows tablet offerings by the end of 2016 to address consumers and enterprises currently served by Microsoft’s Surface Pro line,” King pointed out.

King added that major issues to do with security and app compatibility have largely been resolved with the rise of Web-based and native applications. He also pointed to the growth of 2-in-1 devices and the Surface Pro as big factors in Microsoft’s favor.

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