5 ms·

Once Microsoft buys them at a suitable price, they've got nothing to fear. Just like they did with Bing, Windows Phone, Xbox etc. Microsoft has deep enough pock

Once Microsoft buys them at a suitable price, they've got nothing to fear. Just like they did with Bing, Windows Phone, Xbox etc. Microsoft has deep enough pockets to continue pumping money into Nokia for making WP handsets until they gain meaningful market share. I am not trying to critique Microsoft here - just that I see that as a likely scenario given the past and current circumstances. It only helps that both Microsoft (with Windows Phone 8) and Nokia (with hardware) are doing things mostly right.

mtgx 14y ago
The thing is if Microsoft buys them, I'm not sure how the other manufacturers would react. At least Google promised them to help fight against both Apple and Microsoft with Motorola's patents, and also manufacturers can't just quit Android. But they could easily quit WP8. They must not be very happy about how Microsoft is heavily promoting Nokia's devices already, while making it so everyone else ignores their own.
- blinkingled 14y ago
  Microsoft has already started to give Nokia exclusivity and buying them out doesn't change much - OEMs are not not dependent on Windows Phone anyways - they can keep their WP handsets a small affair but they still gotta pay Microsoft on their Android sales in patent royalties, even if Microsoft favors/buys Nokia. Even if non-Nokia OEMs totally ditched Windows Phone - Microsoft could just take the royalty money and continue to invest it in Nokia and use all tricks in the book to gain some meaningful market share. No matter how you look at it - it looks good for Microsoft.
Toshio 14y ago
> has deep enough pockets to continue pumping money into Nokia for making WP handsets until they gain meaningful market share. I'll believe it when I see it. Them achieving meaningful market share with windowsphone would shock a lot of us in the industry since microsoft's track record so far has been that they suck pretty badly at hardware rollouts.
- blinkingled 14y ago
  If they keep trying at it - they will eventually go somewhere. Monkey with a gun - he can't shoot, oh he figured out the trigger but what about aim etc.
- bornhuetter 14y ago
  > they suck pretty badly at hardware rollouts. The Xbox, and MS branded keyboards and mice are all highly successful and highly regarded.
rbanffy 14y ago
Microsoft doesn't have to buy them. They already have cross-licensing and will be able to use and probably sub-license Nokia's patent portfolio to every Windows and Windows Phone maker out there. The genius here (on Microsoft's part) is that the two other players (Apple and the Android ecosystem) will have to do whatever it takes to prevent Nokia's portfolio ending up in the hands of an NPE.

mtgx 14y ago

The thing is if Microsoft buys them, I'm not sure how the other manufacturers would react. At least Google promised them to help fight against both Apple and Microsoft with Motorola's patents, and also manufacturers can't just quit Android. But they could easily quit WP8. They must not be very happy about how Microsoft is heavily promoting Nokia's devices already, while making it so everyone else ignores their own.

blinkingled 14y ago
Microsoft has already started to give Nokia exclusivity and buying them out doesn't change much - OEMs are not not dependent on Windows Phone anyways - they can keep their WP handsets a small affair but they still gotta pay Microsoft on their Android sales in patent royalties, even if Microsoft favors/buys Nokia. Even if non-Nokia OEMs totally ditched Windows Phone - Microsoft could just take the royalty money and continue to invest it in Nokia and use all tricks in the book to gain some meaningful market share. No matter how you look at it - it looks good for Microsoft.

Toshio 14y ago

> has deep enough pockets to continue pumping money into Nokia for making WP handsets until they gain meaningful market share. I'll believe it when I see it. Them achieving meaningful market share with windowsphone would shock a lot of us in the industry since microsoft's track record so far has been that they suck pretty badly at hardware rollouts.

blinkingled 14y ago
If they keep trying at it - they will eventually go somewhere. Monkey with a gun - he can't shoot, oh he figured out the trigger but what about aim etc.
bornhuetter 14y ago
> they suck pretty badly at hardware rollouts. The Xbox, and MS branded keyboards and mice are all highly successful and highly regarded.

rbanffy 14y ago

Microsoft doesn't have to buy them. They already have cross-licensing and will be able to use and probably sub-license Nokia's patent portfolio to every Windows and Windows Phone maker out there. The genius here (on Microsoft's part) is that the two other players (Apple and the Android ecosystem) will have to do whatever it takes to prevent Nokia's portfolio ending up in the hands of an NPE.