Microsoft Mission Statement 2015

[nic2kaza]

I'm reading reports that the MS CEO didn't mention Windows Phone in his latest e-mail to MS employees, setting out his plans for the business in the new financial year. Even pro Microsoft news sites like WinBeta are saying that MS have tough choices to make. Should we be worried?

 

[PepperdotNet]

Did you read it? He mentioned "our devices" as a key part of their strategy several times and he wasn't just talking about Surface and mice.

The click-bait media are always looking for something bad to report.

 

[Paradowski]

I think MS CEO didn't mention Windows Phone because they are going to release this universal Windows 10 that runs on all mobile devices. There won't be so called "Windows Phone" system anymore (but maybe I'm wrong)

 

[fatclue_98]

I think MS CEO didn't mention Windows Phone because they are going to release this universal Windows 10 that runs on all mobile devices. There won't be so called "Windows Phone" system anymore (but maybe I'm wrong)

You're not wrong. It's going to be Windows 10 for Mobile.

 

[Xerxes10]

Unfortunately I think we should be worried. When he said "tough choices" I don't think he was talking about removing Minesweeper...market share is down, app support keeps dropping, and MS is successfully getting their apps onto IOS and Android (which is the right move). I hope I'm wrong. I'm still sporting the Lumia 920 and waiting for a flagship release, but all we hear about is low and midrange phones. Please MS don't abandon us!

 

[nic2kaza]

I did read yes, I read it five or six times, as I mentioned in my article. I'm not anti MS, I've got a Windows 8 tablet, a Windows Phone 8.1 & a Windows PC. My point, wasn't anti MS, my point is, do we think that MS will, given current market conditions, let Windows Phone die out...

 

[a5cent]

I think MS CEO didn't mention Windows Phone because they are going to release this universal Windows 10 that runs on all mobile devices. There won't be so called "Windows Phone" system anymore (but maybe I'm wrong)

I'd say you are wrong. What was previously WP is now W10M, which is not the same as W10, although they share many common parts. Think of them as a Mini Cooper and a SUV. Both have wheels, brakes and many other common parts, but they aren't the "same".

...my point is, do we think that MS will, given current market conditions, let Windows Phone die out...

No, it's not their mobile OS that is in trouble. Their newly acquired phone hardware division may be... I don't know which tough decisions Nadella was refering to, but it involving Ex-Nokia is what I'd bet on if I was a betting man...

 

[Laura Knotek]

I'd say you are wrong. What was previously WP is now W10M, which is not the same as W10, although they share many common parts. Think of them as a Mini Cooper and a SUV. Both have wheels, brakes and many other common parts, but they aren't the "same".



No, it's not their mobile OS that is in trouble. Their newly acquired phone hardware division may be... I don't know which tough decisions Nadella was refering to, but it involving Ex-Nokia is what I'd bet on if I was a betting man...

We will have to wait and see what happens. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft were to sell the Nokia acquisition to another company. Google bought Motorola Mobility, but sold it to Lenovo after a short time.

 

[a5cent]

We will have to wait and see what happens. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft were to sell the Nokia acquisition to another company. Google bought Motorola Mobility, but sold it to Lenovo after a short time.

Not impossible, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

I understand why Motorola was sold and what Google and Android gained from it. Beyond shedding an underperforming business unit, I wouldn't understand what MS or WP stand to gain from selling Ex-Nokia to someone else. That move would be almost exclusively about cutting financial losses. Not that savings aren't important, but in contrast to the Motorola deal, selling Ex-Nokia achieves no strategic advantages for WP or the Windows ecosystem. It's actually more likely to introduce a rather large threat to the WP ecosystem, as it might leave it without any OEM backing whatsoever.

It wasn't too long ago that the entire business world discussed how Nokia somewhat "forced" MS into buying Nokia. Even WCentral reported on how events unfolded from that perspective. I have trouble imagining that the entire landscape has since shifted, in the sense that MS now sees absolutely no value in holding on to a company, which they just recently felt was a company they couldn't afford not to purchase.

I really have no idea, but based on what I currently know, I'm thinking another round of massive layoffs are more likely, combined with press statements discussing how MS intends to "streamline" the WP product portfolio and therefore requires fewer people to develop and support a smaller set of SKUs. No idea if that's correct. Just my best guess right now.

 

[tgp]

Not impossible, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

I understand why Motorola was sold and what Google and Android gained from it. Beyond shedding an underperforming business unit, I wouldn't understand what MS or WP stand to gain from selling Ex-Nokia to someone else. That move would be almost exclusively about cutting financial losses. Not that savings aren't important, but in contrast to the Motorola deal, selling Ex-Nokia achieves no strategic advantages for WP or the Windows ecosystem. It's actually more likely to introduce a rather large threat to the WP ecosystem, as it might leave it without any OEM backing whatsoever.

It wasn't too long ago that the entire business world discussed how Nokia somewhat "forced" MS into buying Nokia. Even WCentral reported on how events unfolded from that perspective. I have trouble imagining that the entire landscape has since shifted, in the sense that MS now sees absolutely no value in holding on to a company, which they just recently felt was a company they couldn't afford not to purchase.

I really have no idea, but based on what I currently know, I'm thinking another round of massive layoffs are more likely, combined with press statements discussing how MS intends to "streamline" the WP product portfolio and therefore requires fewer people to develop and support a smaller set of SKUs. No idea if that's correct. Just my best guess right now.

Comparing Google/Motorola with Microsoft/Nokia, I think that although the situations seem similar, the logic behind the purchases were different. From what I understand, Google never wanted Motorola's devices division to begin with. They were after the patents. However, it was a package deal. They ended up with what they wanted, although the patents might have ultimately cost more than they wished.

Now, why did Microsoft buy Nokia? I'm not sure that any of us know for sure. As a disclaimer, I never read the following or heard anybody say it. I thought it up myself. Here is my thought:

Part of the deal with Nokia's exclusivity with Microsoft involved guaranteed sales volume. There also might have been a standing buyout option. The sales were not being met, which meant that Microsoft would have been forced into a large payout to Nokia. Simply purchasing the devices division made more sense than the payout.

Again, this is my idea, and mine alone. If someone else said it, I didn't hear it!

 

[a5cent]

^ Completely agree. I don't think the two acquisitions are in any way comparable either...

Come to think of it, Motorola at least gave Google some leverage in their dealings with Samsung, which was probably worth far more than the patents, as they have since shown themselves to be pretty much worthless. That may be more than what MS has so far gotten out of the Nokia deal.

A while back an article appeared somewhere, I think it was ars technica, describing how various forces at MS toiled over whether it's smart to purchase Nokia or not. I don't remember all the details, but it all seemed pretty pedestrian to me at the time. Mostly just Balmer who was determined to make MS a devices company and his understandable unwillingness to risk Nokia jumping partially or fully onto the Android bandwagon. Of course there could have been more to it, like you say, but we'll likely never know.

 

[fatclue_98]

After the entire HP/Palm debacle and cancellation of the entire webOS line, nothing surprises me. No corporate reasoning is insane enough to explain an M&A and no write-off (stock dump) is far fetched. Buying up a dying company at the whim of a maniacal CEO is not new. The most (in)famous example would have to be when Frank Lorenzo of Continental Airlines bought Eastern during a crippling strike by I believe the pilots. Former baseball commish Peter Ueberroth tried in vain to salvage the company but Lorenzo was hellbent on buying it because of his reputation as being a union-buster extraordinaire. History provides the end of that story.

I don't know if Ballmer's ego blinded him in his pursuit of Nokia or if it was just a case of backroom dealings between the principals. We may never know.

Sent from my LG G3 via Tapatalk

 

[eds817]

I am holding off making any new device decisions until the fall when it's expected that Microsoft will release a couple of new high end devices. If between now and then they decide to sell off Nokia and put an end to hardware I will look at all other operating systems. As much as I can't stand Apple I may have to go to the dark side since Microsoft is making their apps for these devices better than they are for Windows phone. And if they stop making Windows phones I doubt any other manufacturers will make them and Windows phone will be dead.

 

[Spectrum90]

The phone division is losing ~$500 million per quarter and the Lumia brand is associated to Windows Phone, nobody is going to buy that.

To me, this is a ~$8 billion write down and another round of layoffs.

 

[Mike Majeski]

Then there is this on WMPowerUser:

Rumour: Microsoft considering dropping Windows phones, pushing Google's Android phones and tablets instead - WMPoweruser

 

[nic2kaza]

Then there is this on WMPoweruser

Rumour: Microsoft considering dropping Windows phones, pushing Google's Android phones and tablets instead - WMPoweruser[/url]

I've not seen that rumour yet, lets hope it's not true...