Beancounters at the analyst outfit Ovum have warned not to write off Microsoft from the mobile market. The outfit said that Windows Phone 7 (WP7) will ‘upset the status quo' in the smartphone market in 2011.

Ovum claimed that WP7 will be the fastest growing platform which is a little contrary to what the other analysts say but is in like with what Microsoft has been expecting. Ovum said that Android will overtake iPhone as the favourite OS with mobile developers by the end of the year, perhaps indicating that while WP7 could grow quickly, Android is likely to have a good year too and continue its rapid growth.

Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore has previously said it will take certainly more than a couple of months before WP7 is profitable and has a good smartphone market share. There is a chance that WP7 could enjoy a burst of growth if cheaper handsets take off. The eagerly anticipated update to the current OS, called Mango is also expected soon, but it is a long way away from Ovum's dramatic prediction coming true.