Microsoft Makes It Official With Nokia
Microsoft have announced they’re finally ready to go full ‘Brady Bunch’ with Nokia, even more than they have already (since their Febuary 2011 hand holding). Microsoft will be buying up, in technical terms, all the Nokia things. From devices and services, to the license of Nokia patents and the Nokia mapping services. Microsoft are going to buy it all.
Microsoft’s Proposes Nokia Acquisitions
Watch out, other Smart Phone companies, I think you might have some competition.
This is how it’s all gone down, so far.
Microsoft and Nokia board members announced, through a press release, that they’d agreed on a transaction whereby…..Microsoft basically buys the majority of Nokia’s stuff. (And they say romance is dead). By ‘all their stuff’, I of course mean Nokia’s patent licenses, devices and services, as well as the mapping services. It’s kind of a big deal.
Steve Bullmer has emailed the Microsoft employees to let them know how much Microsoft and Nokia dig one another. And how much do they dig one another? About 5.44 Billion Euros worth of digging one another. That’s how much.
In the email, he also pointed to how good the acquisition would be for Microsoft (no surprises there)-
This is a smart acquisition for Microsoft, and a good deal for both companies. We are receiving incredible talent, technology and IP. We’ve all seen the amazing work that Nokia and Microsoft have done together.
Given our long partnership with Nokia and the many key Nokia leaders that are joining Microsoft, we expect a smooth transition and great execution.
Yeah, everyone expected a pretty ‘smooth transition’ with the joining together of the Stark and Baratheon houses. That just ended in a great, albeit sad, execution. At the moment, it doesn’t look as though any developers are going to be losing their heads/jobs. But then, you all thought Eddard was going to The Wall, didn’t you?
Judging by Microsoft’s ‘strategic rationale’ plan (which is just as dry as you’d expect it to be) they’re gearing up to make a huge push, that they hope will move them out of the ‘just computers’ category. But they’re being smart about not cutting iPhone and Android apps out of their devices, not yet at least.
They’re also only pointing to about 10 dollars profit for each Nokia phone bought. That…. doesn’t seem like a lot to me. But then, maybe that’s why my bank account has moths in it and theirs has money.
Do I think something darker is afoot? Could this be a Red Wedding for Nokia’s Employees?
Probably not.
From a consumer perspective, a Microsoft/Nokia Smart Phone is something that peaks my interest. I’m not about to throw my HTC out the window (the screen is cracked enough). But in terms of having a third alternative to what is very much a 2 horse race, this is a smart move for Nokia and Microsoft. Nokia brings it’s cred as a pretty great phone maker and Microsoft bring the moolah to make sure it all happens. It’s like when the Tully and Stark houses joined, New Gods and the Old. Let’s just hope they all survive a little better than those Stark kids.
Of course, any acquisition of this kind is going to take the consent of Nokia shareholders and it’s not all due to be finalised till 2014. This leaves us plenty of time to speculate and come up with even more Song of Ice and Fire references.