The Nokia Acquisition (post comments and questions here)

[RJ Priest]

I am most curious about Nokia retaining "Advanced Technologies Development". Is this where the pureview camera technology comes from? I assume this is where development on graphene applications and flexible displays are (were) also being developed.

Does this mean that Nokia will continue to develop innovative technologies and simply license them to anyone? Would Microsoft have the first opportunity to license future technology from Nokia which would have served as significant and unique features of future Nokia Lumia devices?

I really hope that with the division of Nokia that Microsoft has purchased, we will not lose continuous development of cutting edge technology such as pureview cameras and the HAAC recording hardware. I really want to see Nokia/Microsoft continue to push innovative hardware that others cannot easily replicate.

 

[AndreStudart]

the only thing I'm afraid it's about what's left from nokia.. HERE services and NSN..

microsoft should buy here services as well, it's important to improve it and make it against google maps (remember the wpcentral news that nokia had bought a 3d map viewer company to integrate with here), otherwise, another company (such as google) can come up with a big offer for HERE services, controlling everything related to maps and leaving microsoft without any..

 

[Henhill691]

Nokia opens gates to Microsoft @ ViralBond: Nokia Opens its gates to Microsoft

 

[Reflexx]

The results disagree with BoD,

The results?

Nokia just made a killing.

They had an unprofitable and EXPENSIVE division. They unloaded that.

Now they have three profitable divisions and billions of dollars in liquidity.

They also kept ownership of their utility patents.

Oh, and they gained a HUGE customer for their HERE platform.

The Board of Directors did a great job.

Sure, there is an emotional loss in that Nokia doesn't make handsets anymore. But Nokia as a company has evolved several times, changing what business they focus on in order to stay profitable and relevant. They did that again this time.

I'm sure there were people that were sad when they didn't make rubber anymore. But time moves on...

also you don't need to focus on all of them, just offer them to buyers, you bet that Samsung didn't focus on his WP devices...but still sold them (and is still selling them).

It's not that easy or simple.

These things cost time and money. You don't just throw out something to see if it sticks.

Everything requires research and development. It costs resources.

Samsung was in the position where they could throw a bone here and there and see what happens.

Nokia was not in that position.

Also all those buildings and assets elop has sold could be sold by anyone else, it's not the rocket science really.

That's like saying that if you can be an NBA player because you can dribble a basketball.

I don't state it would have been Samsung but it would certainly have a lot bigger marketshare and nobody can deny that.

The people with the closest access to the financials deny that.

It would be impossible for Nokia to sell less phones than it is selling nowadays,

Fantasy conjecture that isn't supported by anything.

the first question when you show your WP phone to other people is "why is it not Android?".

Maybe because Google didn't give Nokia billions of dollars to help them stay afloat like Microsoft did?

Do you know what would have happened if Nokia went Android? They would have run out of money a long time ago. Maybe even before the 2nd gen of handsets even made it to market.

And what does a bankrupt Nokia mean? It means that the entire company gets bought out by somebody. It means that they no longer own their patents.

So which is better?

1) Selling the unprofitable and expensive Devices and Services division and keeping all the profitable divisions with a few billion dollars to spend?
OR
2) Going bankrupt and being completely absorbed by a competitor?

 

[jjmurphy]

I am most curious about Nokia retaining "Advanced Technologies Development". Is this where the pureview camera technology comes from? I assume this is where development on graphene applications and flexible displays are (were) also being developed.

Does this mean that Nokia will continue to develop innovative technologies and simply license them to anyone? Would Microsoft have the first opportunity to license future technology from Nokia which would have served as significant and unique features of future Nokia Lumia devices?

I really hope that with the division of Nokia that Microsoft has purchased, we will not lose continuous development of cutting edge technology such as pureview cameras and the HAAC recording hardware. I really want to see Nokia/Microsoft continue to push innovative hardware that others cannot easily replicate.

These were my concerns. Does the imaging group and research group come with them?

 

[mrpuny]

My concern is that the excellent Nokia Care network will be ended. MS are not known for enjoying face to face contact with customers, especially for those outside of the US. If I have to take my phone to an MS store to get fixed, from here in the UK, that'll be a flight to the US then. Not cool. I notice nothing has been mentioned about the shift from Nokia Care to Microsoft Shrug yet. I remain fearful until someone is brave enough to comment.

I was wondering about this as well, but for the opposite reason. Is Microsoft acquiring the Nokia support and retail operations, or are those staying with Nokia proper? If MS gets those, have they basically just purchased an international expansion for their Microsoft stores?

 

[chocolateyum]

Doesn't everyone besides die hard WP fans see this as Nokia having to cut losses because they bet on WP (only building phones for WP OS) and lost?

I personally don't think this is a good thing. Brand popularity is unfortunately way more important than any technological advancement or phone quality in general. Nokia was gaining a good rep on their phones, thereby indirectly increasing WP popularity. Now the Microsoft name is going to drag the Nokia phones down.

Plus it'll probably become like Apple where there are only 1 or 2 choices in WP phones.

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

Ok, noticed this gem on Facebook. Have a look at the comments too.



So much MS hate...

I was wondering about this as well, but for the opposite reason. Is Microsoft acquiring the Nokia support and retail operations, or are those staying with Nokia proper? If MS gets those, have they basically just purchased an international expansion for their Microsoft stores?

OH HECK YES! Microsoft Store in Manchester? SWEET!

 

[millercrew5]

Why are people bashing others over their phone preferences? So what if someone likes their Apple or Android phone! I love my WP8 and am glad I switched but my wife hates it and wants her iPhone back. My response is OK. I do not see anyone quitting there jobs over this acquisition or bad products coming out to market! Too many people looking for the bad in this. My only question is what will happen to the accessory line up? I love alot of what Nokia was doing with the accessories and hope that it will continue. I am very excited to see what becomes of the Lumia brand in the next year or two



Sent from my RM-860_nam_usa_100 using Tapatalk

 

[Reflexx]

Doesn't everyone besides die hard WP fans see this as Nokia having to cut losses because they bet on WP (only building phones for WP OS) and lost?

What other option did they really have?

Betting on WP also ensured them hundreds of millions of dollars in income from Microsoft. Without that, who knows how long their devices and services division could have lasted. Who knows if they would have even been able to put out any handsets past the Lumia 900. They may have gone broke before they really even had a chance to compete.

I personally don't think this is a good thing. Brand popularity is unfortunately way more important than any technological advancement or phone quality in general.

It depends on what you mean by "important."

In everyday use, technology is more important.

But I agree that Brand does more to actually sell units.

Nokia was gaining a good rep on their phones, thereby indirectly increasing WP popularity. Now the Microsoft name is going to drag the Nokia phones down.

Time will tell. The Surface is a nice piece of hardware. So is the XBOX.

Microsoft keyboards and mice are also very nice.

MS does make high quality hardware. It's just that their marketing tends to suck.

Plus it'll probably become like Apple where there are only 1 or 2 choices in WP phones.

Considering Elop is going to be heading things, I don't think that will happen.

 

[inteller]

Ok, noticed this gem on Facebook. Have a look at the comments too.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1235931_10151805166654812_272941094_n.jpg

So much MS hate...



OH HECK YES! Microsoft Store in Manchester? SWEET!

those graphs aren't even vaguely correct.

 

[snowmutt]

Wow. This thread is still going strong.

I am no longer in shock as I was, oh, about a day ago. (Remember, I was one of those soothsayers who said this would never happen. How come the things I am right about are blurbs on the news and gone in 15 minutes and the things I am wrong about are a year long affair?? How is the even REMOTELY fair???) Best I can tell, here is the rundown:

-Nokia is out of the hardware bizz. They will stay out for at least three years. If they chose to get back in, they will do so without factories, supply chains, engineers, designers, factory workers, a set stragety, or ecosystem.
-MS gets the hardware stuff. Along with the factories, supply chains, engineers, designers, factory workers, a set stragety, a fairly established ecosystem.

Did I miss anything???

 

[inteller]

Nokia as any meaningful company will be gone in a few years.

 

[psudotechzealot]

Apparently I'm the only one that bought his Lumia for the OS, while Nokia being the OEM was just a bonus. As long as the phone is good, I really don't care what its branded.

Nope, I bought a Lumia for the OS as well.

 

[Reflexx]

Nokia as any meaningful company will be gone in a few years.

You keep saying this, but even if a company wants to buy them that doesn't mean they have to sell.

Nokia is heavily tied to the government of Finland. They don't have to sell if they don't want to.

Now that they have a ton of money and profitable businesses, there is no reason to sell. They're solid.

 

[bryantest]

There are things I think have to work in order to make intergration successful

1. Nokia employees cannot be sucked in the slow, complacent and arrogant corporate culture of MS (Ballmer is the EPITOME of that)

Once upon a time, Nokia was the "Microsoft" of the mobile phone industry mentality-wise, and then it got its face shoved so deep in the humble pie it had no choice but to chose an outsider to give it fresh set of eyes to look what was wrong with the company and change it.

Now Nokia employees have the mentality of the underdog..and thus why they're able to manufacture beautiful phones like the Lumia 920, 1020 and etc. It will be a setback if they got sucked in crappy corporate culture of MS.

And I think the Finnish employees will not stand for that kind of garbage mentality either.

2. MS leadership has to inspire loyalty among Nokia's top talents (engineering, developers, designers and etc.)

Yep. You really think every Nokia employee working for the phone biz is literally jumping for joy when the acquisition was announced? C'mon..Are you kidding me????????????????????

MS is beyond idiotic if they think they can get away with the top talent (esp. the Finnish engineers) leaving the company once integration begins. I think for one, one way to do that is to give them complete autonomy when it comes to creating phones. In other words: GET THE HELL OF THEIR WAY!.

3. Pricing points for future Lumia phones...and carrier exclusivity.

Well, it's not a secret that price was one of the biggest reasons why MS messed up so bad with Surface, I'd really like to think it's going to use its massive cash reserves to actually bring down the prices a bit for the next-gen Lumia phones and end that stupid carrier exclusivity agreement with A&T once and for all.

 

[rodan01]

These were my concerns. Does the imaging group and research group come with them?

Pureview goes to Microsoft.

https://twitter.com/jalakarhu/status/374905330255155200

 

[psudotechzealot]

I'm laughing reading the comments from Nokia fans today. I didn't think people had that much loyalty to a faceless corporation.

And if it wasn't for MS' deep pockets Nokia would probably have already gone under.

The best thing about the whole situation is that now Android fans can stop asking for a Nokia Android device.

 

[rodan01]

Jolla is made up of all the pissed off MeeGo people that left Nokia when MS made the WP deal. They forked MeeGo into Sailfish OS and released a phone in May.....what never heard of it? That speaks to its success.

Sailfish will be released at the end of the year.

 

[WavingReds]

Pureview goes to Microsoft.

https://twitter.com/jalakarhu/status/374905330255155200

The very last thing I needed to know.