The installed base of advanced operating systems (OS) is a KPI of the health of the OS's ecosystem. It signifies the total addressable market for developers: a key criterion of a developer's decision making when deciding which OS to develop native applications for. Developer and application ecosystems are obviously a major factor in creating market momentum for an OS and ultimately the virtuous cycle crucial for success. Similarly, squeezed Android OEMs may also be looking for a viable second OS to add to their product portfolio.
ABI Research's regional historical and forecast installed base data also identifies where the growth, and therefore opportunity, for smartphone OEMs and developers will be now and over the next five years.