“Nokia Oyj is close to announcing a software partnership with Microsoft Corp., a bet that together the two companies can better challenge Google Inc. and Apple Inc., according to a person with knowledge of the discussions,” Carol Hymowitz, Dina Bass and Diana ben-Aaron report for Bloomberg.
“Nokia Chief Executive Officer Stephen Elop has held talks with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about putting Microsoft’s mobile operating system on Nokia phones, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private,” Hymowitz, Bass and ben-Aaron report. “Elop also held talks with Google CEO Eric Schmidt about using Google’s Android software, the person said. Those discussions are unlikely to lead to an alliance, according to another person familiar with the matter.”
Hymowitz, Bass and ben-Aaron report, “Elop will unveil a new strategy for Nokia at an event in London tomorrow, laying out his comeback plan for the smartphone market… Elop, 47, took the helm at Nokia in September after a stint as head of Microsoft’s business-software division.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If true, Apple will surely be quite content to own the high-end while Andoid and Windows Phone ’07 take chunks out of each other down in commodityland.
Hate to say
I told you so
It would be very good news for Microsoft. That’s Microsoft’s core business, to supply software to others for use in their products, for a licensing fee. There is no single potential customer in phones that is as large as Nokia.
Loser + Loser = 2 Losers.
It just goes to show how rudderless Nokia is. If they go with msft, they get a third rate OS they have to pay for. If they go with google and android they sell out and admit they have no clue about how to develop decent software or a good user experience. Either way they lose another 10% market share in the next 6 months. Elop is Nokia’s John Sculley he knows nothing! By the way why didn’t Elop exert his influence and innovation at Msft. Why, because he has none.
It’s the only smart move for both companies
Elop
Was place there to smooth way for review by regulators. That’s why he is there