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Nokia acquired by Microsoft

blogs.technet.com

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Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#171

Post by psbp »

sjwright wrote: post #161
rayiner wrote: post #38

This is a great move. There is no money in being an Android vendor except if you're Samsung and are totally vertically integrated. With Windows Phone, Nokia and Microsoft at least have some hope of carving out a profitable stake in the market. Anecdotally, I'm very impressed with some of the new Lumias. I got a 620 to replace my stolen iPhone, and for $200 unlocked its phenomenal phone. The build quality makes a flag…

No, a great move would have been for Microsoft to purchase RIM/BlackBerry three or four years ago, and focus on the corporate sector. They could have had the best information security story in the industry. They could have had the ultimate Exchange email experience. Together, these companies would have had a serious chance at being the indisputable third platform. On their own, they came up with a dozen incompatible…

Yes, a brilliant strategy to have an aging company buy a device maker that markets to an aging customer base.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#172

Post by clarky07 »

macspoofing wrote: post #100
corresation wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no money in being an Android vendor except if you're Samsung and are totally vertically integrated. There are a lot of people who would have picked up the attractive, well built, well engineered Nokia devices if they had the platform of Android. The core problem with the "no money in Android" argument is that you can't choose not to compete with Android if you're in the smartphone game, which is pretty obvio…

>There are a lot of people who would have picked up the attractive, well built, well engineered Nokia devices if they had the platform of Android. Yeah maybe. There is no guarantee that the outcome would have been more favorable than being bought out by Microsoft. >Apple obviously is very much in a battle with Android ... Apple already lost to Android. Last count, Android had 80% of the market. There is zero chance o…

Android has 80% worldwide market share, but it's much much closer in the US. If you take out the crap phones that are smartphone in name only, it's much closer worldwide. While Android is clearly winning by a decent margin, I'm not convinced it's over. I think the hopefully coming soon cheaper iPhone could make things a lot more interesting.

Note that I don't actually want the iPhone to win. I would very much prefer that neither "wins". 50% each would be a better outcome for consumers for years. Better yet, windows gaining share and having 3 at 33% would be awesome.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#173

Post by psbp »

sremani wrote: post #155
psbp wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "first party" bit is the scathing, indicative part..

Its Instagram's decision to "crown" a third party developer - Instragram has never expressed inability due to platform limitations - they always expressed lack of desire, probably from a philosophy of dis-taste towards Microsoft rooted in the prejudices of the founder or the group of developers at Instagram.

Or maybe marketshare and investment, like every other app maker.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#175

Post by throwawaykf02 »

Anechoic wrote: post #113
throwawaykf02 wrote: post #104

There was some credible speculation back then that Google bought up Mototorola because its CEO threatened patent warfare with other Android manufacturers, something Google really did not want happening. Along similar lines, I speculate that Microsoft snapped up Nokia because they threatened starting an Android line of phones. I think there's a significant business lesson in here somewhere... Something along the lines…

I speculate that Microsoft snapped up Nokia because they threatened starting an Android line of phones. Remember that MS makes money off Android phones. MS also gets a nice patent bonus along [..] Apple admitted defeat in its patent fight with Nokia, something it hasn't done with anybody else Apple has (well had but I'd bet dollars to donuts it was renewed) a patent cross-licensing agreement with Microsoft so this co…

I have no specific knowledge at all of any cross-licensing here (and if I did, I surely won't comment on it in public), but from the few license deals I very tangentially know of, they happen in terms of portfolios of assets valid at a given time for a given period. That is, you get rights to portfolio X of N issued patents for M years, and I get rights to portfolio Y of P issued patents for Q years. We negotiate to assign some value to those portfolios, and if they don't even out, somebody pays the other a royalty.

However, I cannot imagine anybody signing an eternal, all-encompassing cross-licensing deal to each others' portfolios. This is for many reasons, one simply being that one never knows what could be invented, and another being one simply doesn't know when the other will stop inventing and thus, reciprocating.

Yes, Apple certainly has a cross-license deal in place with MS (in addition to the one from the 90s, given the number of UI features WP shares with iOS but has not been sued over). But I would be very surprised if this acquisition was included in those deals. Rather, the relevant cross-licenses were made when Apple settled with Nokia.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#176

Post by wyclif »

kyro wrote: post #151
asdfs wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google has Motorola and the Nexus line. As for Microsoft, their spectacular failure with the Surface suggests that having control of both hardware and software does not necessarily result in success.

The Nexus line is in no way establishing a cohesive Google experience. Most opt for Samsung or HTC. Regarding the Surface: you're right, it flopped. Difference here is that Microsoft is bringing in the talent, experience, and quality product to make a more serious attempt at mobile.

Most opt for Samsung or HTC

...but that's price fragmentation, not a commentary on the 'cohesiveness' of the Nexus 4, which is a brilliant device.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#177

Post by jpatokal »

undoware wrote: post #25

Wow. Some call Tomi. For copious, copious background on the MS/Nokia debacle, 'burning platform' to present: communities-dominate.blogs.com (Not affiliated, just an avid fan of this mobile industry analyst-become-blogger who does his own stats. Some of the charts are chilling.)

Actually, Tomi's latest blog post series theorized that Ballmer wanted to buy Nokia, Gates vetoed this and that's why Ballmer's getting kicked out:

Gates looked at the real performance of this partnership. Gates said in public that Ballmer has made mistakes and singled out Windows Phone project as 'clearly a mistake' and so badly mismanaged, that recovery was no longer possible. Thats what Gates said on Charlie Rose in February 2013. This is when the decision was made to not buy Nokia. So we know, Ballmer wanted to buy Nokia, but Gates stepped in to override that decision. And at that moment, Ballmer's career as Microsoft CEO was ended (as I said on this blog). Gates gave Ballmer six months to quietly sort out his future but clearly said in February to Ballmer, get out. And Gates vetoed the Nokia purchase.

Now Nokia has been gutted, all its options destroyed, and its up the proverbial shit's creek without a paddle.

http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2013/08/ballmer...

Doesn't quite pan out in light of MS actually buying Nokia.

Re: Nokia acquired by Microsoft

#179

Post by sjwright »

psbp wrote: post #171
sjwright wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, a great move would have been for Microsoft to purchase RIM/BlackBerry three or four years ago, and focus on the corporate sector. They could have had the best information security story in the industry. They could have had the ultimate Exchange email experience. Together, these companies would have had a serious chance at being the indisputable third platform. On their own, they came up with a dozen incompatible…

Yes, a brilliant strategy to have an aging company buy a device maker that markets to an aging customer base.

At least RIM had a smartphone customer base to buy.
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