Link to full articleWith Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia’s mobile business for $7.1bn, the Redmond software giant has finally become a phone and device maker.
The deal gives Microsoft Nokia’s global handset engineering, manufacturing, sales and distribution business; the family of Windows-Phone-powered Lumia smartphones; a war chest of 8,500 Lumia and Asha phone patents while licensing 30,000 utility patents; and a standing army of 32,000 Nokia employees. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014.
Interestingly, it's not Microsoft’s biggest purchase: it’s second to the $8.2bn purchase of loss-making internet chat biz Skype in 2011.
The Nokia acquisition also potentially gives Microsoft its next chief executive officer: Nokia boss Stephen Elop who was once a senior suit in Redmond.
Nokia went all WinPhone after acquiring an ex Microsoft employee as CEO - and tanked.
When he joined Nokia, Elop was asked whether he was a Microsoft Trojan. Now he's delivered the handset maker to his former boss. But he was president of Microsoft’s business group before going to Nokia, but he barely grew revenue. Such was his lack of distinction, Elop merited a terse two-paragraph farewell email from his boss Ballmer, who called him a “good steward of the brand and business during his time”.
When Elop joined Nokia I saw lot of speculation that he was to damage the company enough for a buyout. Now it has happened.
I find it hard to believe that this will help Microsoft.
Topic: Microsoft buy Nokia's mobile division. (Read 1329 times)