This morning, Nokia has announced that it has acquired imaging firm Scalado for an undisclosed price. Nokia will be picking up everything including their specialists, intellectual property and technology from the company and will be incorporating them into the company sometime in Q3 2012.
Scalado has been working with Nokia for the last 10 years but they've also done work with HTC and most recently RIM on their upcoming BlackBerry 10 and it's new camera functions. That is certainly interesting because RIM itself is in dire straits and they just lost what many considered to be a key partner for re-igniting their brand. Of course what RIM already had in motion with Scalado will probably remain but the Waterloo company should start looking elsewhere for future camera development.
The good news here of course is that Nokia is clearly aiming to get some of the best camera functions on Windows Phone. Currently, HTC is in a bit of a renaissance with their ONE series which focuses heavily on cameras and media capabilities, giving Nokia and others a run for their money.
Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how Scalado's know-how pays off on future Windows Phone 8 devices.
Read the full press release after the break.
Nokia to acquire developers, technologies and intellectual property for imaging from Scalado
Acquisition aimed at enhancing imaging experiences for Nokia Lumia devices
Espoo, Finland and Lund, Sweden: Nokia is announcing plans to acquire world-class imaging specialists as well as all technologies and intellectual property from Scalado AB.
"Nokia has been working with Scalado for more than ten years and they've contributed to many of our leading imaging applications," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Smart Devices at Nokia. "This transaction would enable us to combine our leadership in camera devices with their expertise in imaging, helping people move beyond taking pictures to capturing moments and emotions and then reliving them in many different ways."
The Lund site is planned to become a key site for Nokia's imaging software for smartphones, in addition to Nokia's existing locations in Espoo and Tampere, Finland.
"This is a great opportunity for many of our people to show their leadership in imaging and to continue to build its future," said Håkan Persson, chief executive officer of Scalado AB. "Doing this as part of Nokia, already a leader in mobile imaging, will reinforce the strength of the technologies and competences developed at Scalado. We are very excited about this opportunity, which is a natural next step in our longstanding relationship with Nokia."
The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close during the third quarter of 2012. The terms of the transaction are confidential.
About Nokia - Nokia is a global leader in mobile communications whose products have become an integral part of the lives of people around the world. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people use their Nokia to capture and share experiences, access information, find their way or simply to speak to one another. Nokia's technological and design innovations have made its brand one of the most recognized in the world. For more information, visit https://www.nokia.com/about-us/
