Nokia and Microsoft Announce Strategic Partnership
by Mithun Chandrasekhar on February 11, 2011 11:28 AM EST- Posted in
- Nokia
- MeeGo
- Microsoft
- Smartphones
- windows phone 7
- symbian
- Mobile
Today Nokia and Microsoft have announced a partnership that will collectively leverage Microsoft and Nokia's strengths and resources. Although the fruit of this long-term partnership will primarily affect Windows Phone 7 and Nokia's smartphone line-up, other areas of either companies business' will also be getting some of the good stuff.
The partnership primarily aims to leverage Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform and eco-system along with Nokia's hardware expertise and market/carrier reach around the world to build a new line-up of Nokia branded smartphones running Microsoft's mobile OS. But things aren't as cut and dry. Although the software driving these devices will be WP7, Nokia will be integrating some of its own software components into the platform. Primarily, this will be the excellent 'Maps' application, which moving forward, Microsoft will also be using in its own Bing eco-system.
Although Nokia insists that Symbian and Meego will not die, it is quite clear that Symbian will eventually be put to rest and whatever core Symbian IP Nokia has, could be absorbed into the Windows Phone codebase. Meego on the other hand will continue to live the existence as Nokia's 'expirmental platform' of choice, with a Meego device expected sometime this year. Nokia has also mentioned that it's 'Qt' framework will not be coming to WP7.
Clearly, the mobile devices market in 2011 is going to be much more interesting (and potentially beneficial) for the consumer. Apple and Google will seriously have to re-think their stratergies now that they have three very strong and able competitors in HP's excellent webOS, RIM's promising QNX and now Nokia-Microsoft's extensive partnership.
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Tanclearas - Friday, February 11, 2011 - link
Microsoft partnered with Sega on the Dreamcast just before introducing the XBox. I wonder what will happen to Nokia phones...Sam125 - Saturday, February 12, 2011 - link
Not only that, but Microsoft leeched key IP for the Cell processor from IBM while developing their xbox. It kind of boggles the mind why any company would want to do business with a company like Microsoft with their business practices.Yes, Bill Gates is a great guy and philanthropic blah blah blah but he also created a software company with a history of creating relationships with companies only to turn around and gut them later.
Johnmcl7 - Friday, February 11, 2011 - link
Although it was rumoured I couldn't see it happening as it makes no sense for Nokia as one of the most open and varied handset manufacturers to go with the most locked down OS. Looks like the N900 will be my last Nokia for a while.John
LostPassword - Friday, February 11, 2011 - link
guys, read the article. deal goes both ways. Nokia gets to put ovi store in wp7, and they are the only phone manufacturer allowed to skin the OS, although CEO said he doesn't iniitially want to change too much for compatibility with other wp7 phones.wvh - Friday, February 11, 2011 - link
This is a very sad day for Nokia, and even Qt, Linux and Finland. A lot of good open-source ideas and developers are now thrown out with the bathwater. While Nokia has been messing up for years, becoming a Microsoft slave and seeing its stock price crash is rather painful. I don't believe Nokia can set themselves apart with Microsoft's interface, and we all know that most companies that went in bed with Microsoft come out screwed pretty badly. The writing was on the wall though, considering the Microsoft shill that took over as CEO... I don't understand why they didn't put more serious effort behind Linux, Maemo and Meego instead of years of standing by passively and waiting out where the market was headed. They could have kick-started "Android" before Google, if they had only played their cards right and believed in their own products.I can only hope they continue to experiment with Meego or something completely different behind closed doors, so we might see some more original devices – if even HP can do so with webOS, perhaps all is not lost...
Sam125 - Saturday, February 12, 2011 - link
The Nokia+ WP7 partnership isn't a dead end like it seems at first glance. Nokia got beta up pretty bad on the stock market after the announcement with Microsoft so the market thinks this is a pretty bad idea but if they (Nokia) keeps slipping like they have been, then they become a tempting buyout target from a competently managed company which would see Nokia shaken up with a management pruning and life goes on for Nokia. See? It's not all doom and gloom. (:nofumble62 - Saturday, February 12, 2011 - link
Win7 didn't excite buyer. Adding a Nokia name to it won't make any damn difference.Android phone is a commodity. Betcha, but they are far better than Window Phone. Sorry MS.
B3an - Saturday, February 12, 2011 - link
Have you actually used WP7? Because i be you haven't. If the OS is combined with better hardware than the current phones then it will be a great combinations. It's one of the best and most polished phone OS's out there. FAR better than Android and iOS when they first come out.shangshang - Saturday, February 12, 2011 - link
stupid American spelling police on patrol.. get lifeTommer D - Saturday, February 12, 2011 - link
Open source Nokia supporters unite! It's time for Project Chemo (chemotherapy).I am a proud Nokia N73 owner; PLEASE JOIN ME IN BOYCOTTING NOKIA until 1) Elop leaves Nokia and 2) Nokia drops their Phone 7 strategy.
Only an idiot more loyal to Microsoft than Nokia would publically kill Nokia's smartphone brands (Symbian and MeeGo) and pubcially take Nokia out of the game during this critical year by not having the product they've chosen to hype (Phone 7) nearly ready for sale and by pairing with the industry's ugly duckling (Phone 7) that's just a transitional product until Windows 8 arrives.
Maybe Nokia has not been that smart (going with Elop is proof), but they have good technology and Elop has already proven himself to be a total sellout idiot to Microsoft. He of all people should know that Phone 7 did a lousy job implementing an office productivity suite. More importantly, Microsoft's long term strategy is apparent--they will put Windows 8 on ARM tablets and for unity sake they will need to consolidate by putting Windows 8 on phones. Where does that leave Nokia? In a temporary marriage with Microsoft so Microsoft can save face until the real bride shows up.
The market has already made it's decision about Phone 7. It's a total flop. Per Ars Technica, every other major smartphone platform (Android, Nokia, Apple, RIM, Others) rose at least 30% in market share year over year in 4th Quarter 2010. Microsoft was the sole major loser with it's dumb smartphone debut, and lost 20% in market share year over year. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2011/01/androi...
Why would Nokia go with a smartphone that's years behind in technology and doesn't have it's own ecosystem that Elop desperatly ascribes to? Phone 7 doesn't even multi-task . . . it can take an inordinant amount of time revisit applications becasue it has to restart them everytime you switch back to them. Plus it won't do static IP addresses, it does DHCP only. The list goes on.
Since I'm not on Facebook or Twitter, feel free to post this everywhere possible!!
Tommer D.