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Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

businessweek.com

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Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#21

Post by StavrosK »

potatolicious wrote: post #12
azakai wrote: post #6

So, Nokia is said to prefer a 'partnership' with Microsoft, as opposed to being just another hardware vendor working with Google's Android. That means Nokia would have a special status with Windows Phone 7. Would the other hardware vendors Microsoft has been working with be kicked out, leaving WP7 to run only on Nokia hardware? I find it hard to think of any other 'special status' Nokia can have, if other vendors als…

> "However, it seems it would make much more sense for Nokia to just fork Android, which is also a viable platform, and a more popular one at that. Also, it is free of cost, unlike WP7." I've seen WP7 run faster on remarkably little hardware - it's a lot like iOS in that sense. Where even Froyo would lurch and struggle, iOS and WP7 have been shown to make very snappy experiences out of relatively old hardware. This c…

I don't know about that, my iPhone 3G was unusable even before 4 was released, which doesn't bode very well for iOS. On the other hand, Android is very responsive on a $200 Samsung S, which can't be that much faster than the 3G...

Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#22

Post by brudgers »

Unlike many other phone manufacturer's (and like Apple), Nokia has long placed strategic value on phone operating systems. For a company with that tradition, a Microsoft solution makes sense as a replacement for inhouse OS development because Microsoft's core business model is B2B (unlike Google and Apple).

In other words, nobody is likely to question Microsoft's ability to deliver and support a company the size of Nokia given their track record with large worldwide companies. Nor are people likely to question Microsoft's ability to provide user support when WP7 is placed on commodity phones given their track record with Windows.

What the article misses is that the first victim of Microsoft Nokia partnership is likely to be RIM. A Microsoft and Nokia partnership is likely to be a powerful player in enterprise. And from a strategic perspective, Microsoft can benefit even if the partnership is not a cash cow because it allows them to solidify the vertical extents of their product line. Reducing the penetration of Android and iOS into the enterprise isn't a bad thing for Microsoft either.

[Edit] Pitching Java in favor of .Net may also be a factor influencing Nokia's thinking - given the way Oracle has been acting recently.

Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#23

Post by brudgers »

SwellJoe wrote: post #17
jacabado wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the track record of Microsoft in this kind of partnerships? Genuine question.

You'd have to define "this kind of partnership". There are a number of mobile device makers building Windows phones. And there have been many co-development and branding deals over the years with Microsoft and PC makers. Many have been successful, many have failed. This, however, brings to mind the OS/2 deal, to me. If Microsoft culture is anything like it was in the 90s (which may not be the case), I would expect Mi…

The supposed Microsoft Nokia partnership isn't joint development of a phone OS. It looks more likely that Nokia could get out of the OS business altogether.

I'm not sure that OS/2 is the best analogy. That wasn't a hardware company and software company teaming up. And it is unlikely that Nokia and Microsoft will evolve to become direct competitors in the way IBM and Microsoft did in the late 1980's and early 90's.

Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#24

Post by Geee »

yewweitan wrote: post #10

If Nokia were to do this, then they had better find a way to make developer migration/adoption as frictionless as possible. We're talking about smartphones here, which are going to be driven by developers to some extent. A whole scale migration from Symbian/MeeGo to something else is going to be a messy one for sure, one that's definitely going to anger the current crop of developers. With frameworks like Qt in place…

The first "MeeGo" phone was designed to run Maemo 6 and was set to be released in 2010. MeeGo changed plans and the hardware was ready to be scrapped. The successor is in development.

I'd believe WP7 could replace Symbian in mid-range phones, and MeeGo is reserved for really high-end phones and tablets (possibly for x86-devices only). MeeGo and Qt won't go anywhere though, even if Nokia doesn't use them.

Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#25

Post by brudgers »

SwellJoe wrote: post #18
abless wrote: post #2

Not exactly surprising considering Elop's background.

Yeah, everyone keeps trying to make this into a technical or business decision, when it's clearly not. Partnering with an also-ran doesn't make sense except in the context of Elop coming from Microsoft and bringing along a team of softies. Only a Microsoft fanatic would look at the mobile landscape right now and think, "I know, I'll team my struggling company up with those guys. They really know what they're doing."

Microsoft knows how to work with large companies - and look at the alternatives to WP7:

1. In house development. Nokia has "been there done that" 2. Android - Google's B2B track record isn't all that great. 3. iOS [just kidding]

Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#26

Post by SwellJoe »

brudgers wrote: post #23
SwellJoe wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'd have to define "this kind of partnership". There are a number of mobile device makers building Windows phones. And there have been many co-development and branding deals over the years with Microsoft and PC makers. Many have been successful, many have failed. This, however, brings to mind the OS/2 deal, to me. If Microsoft culture is anything like it was in the 90s (which may not be the case), I would expect Mi…

The supposed Microsoft Nokia partnership isn't joint development of a phone OS. It looks more likely that Nokia could get out of the OS business altogether. I'm not sure that OS/2 is the best analogy. That wasn't a hardware company and software company teaming up. And it is unlikely that Nokia and Microsoft will evolve to become direct competitors in the way IBM and Microsoft did in the late 1980's and early 90's.

"I'm not sure that OS/2 is the best analogy. That wasn't a hardware company and software company teaming up."

I can't make any sense of this statement. IBM was the definitive hardware company at the time. Microsoft was the definitive software company at the time. What kind of companies do you think they were?

"The supposed Microsoft Nokia partnership isn't joint development of a phone OS."

As far as I can tell, we have no idea what sort of partnership they have in mind. But, I would expect Nokia to want a unique value, if they build Windows phones. And they have a huge development workforce, and have made numerous software acquisitions over the years. I'd be surprised if they don't plan to write some code, too.

Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#27

Post by PakG1 »

Kylekramer wrote: post #9
jacabado wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the track record of Microsoft in this kind of partnerships? Genuine question.

There is a reason the term "Wintel" was created. But I'd bet they can't pull it off again.

I think the primary point would be that Wintel created a brand new market that hadn't yet really been developed yet. This time around (if it really happens), they're attacking a market that's pretty well developed. Still growing, but by no means at an infant stage.

Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#28

Post by PakG1 »

JulianMorrison wrote: post #16
brown wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nokia doesn't want that though. Nokia leadership views "just a phone hardware manufacturer" as a doomed fate in a commodity business, much like PC manufacturers have been a commodity for the past 10-20 years. Granted, Dell has done alright in that space, but overall that market still represents a commoditized business. Instead, Nokia wants to control the stack. That means having an integrated hardware + software solu…

No-one else can be Apple. It's questionable how long Apple can continue to be Apple. They got to own a stack because they started way ahead of the competition and haven't slacked or hit any technological walls. Upon the inevitable moment they lose momentum, the clones baying at their heels will eat them. This happened before, with classic Mac before the Jobs renaissance. As for Nokia, the market has reached a point o…

It's interesting to note that Apple was in a very similar position back in those days. They were dying, and made the decision to buy NeXT to change OS directions. The primary consideration was the OS, not Jobs; they were apparently very close to buying BeOS instead. Jobs being the catalyst for strategic change happened to be a pleasant surprise. He didn't even become the CEO of Apple again until much later.

So, to be clear, even Apple wasn't Apple. Apple didn't reinvent itself. Apple bought NeXT to try to go a new direction; that is, innovation was acquired, not developed in-house. Looks like Nokia would be forced to do the same, judging from the mood around meego (or in this case, simply partner with an outsider).

Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#29

Post by philwelch »

StavrosK wrote: post #15
asmithmd1 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

or two drunks tied together will walk in a straight line

You know, I bet two drunks tied together would be way more stable than one. Four legs are better than two.

Two drunks tied together don't make four legs. They make two legs vs. two legs.

Re: Nokia Is Said to Be Near Software Partnership With Microsoft

#30

Post by philwelch »

SwellJoe wrote: post #26
brudgers wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The supposed Microsoft Nokia partnership isn't joint development of a phone OS. It looks more likely that Nokia could get out of the OS business altogether. I'm not sure that OS/2 is the best analogy. That wasn't a hardware company and software company teaming up. And it is unlikely that Nokia and Microsoft will evolve to become direct competitors in the way IBM and Microsoft did in the late 1980's and early 90's.

"I'm not sure that OS/2 is the best analogy. That wasn't a hardware company and software company teaming up." I can't make any sense of this statement. IBM was the definitive hardware company at the time. Microsoft was the definitive software company at the time. What kind of companies do you think they were? "The supposed Microsoft Nokia partnership isn't joint development of a phone OS." As far as I can tell, we ha…

IBM was a systems company, not a hardware company. The difference is that a hardware company doesn't, by and large, develop their own software.

Apple is another example of a systems company.

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