With the Microsoft-Nokia deal still cooling off, we're digging through all the news to discuss the implications to the Windows Phone platform. What will happen to the Lumia name? Will Nokia employees be in sync with their Microsoft counterparts? Did Microsoft really even want to buy Nokia?
Daniel Rubino, Jay Bennett and CrackBerry's Kevin Michaluk try to answer those questions as well as take yours in today's podcast. Watch the video podcast below, stream the audio or listen through our app...your choice. Discussion points after the break.
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Conversation this week
One of the more questionable rumours of this year has come to fruition as Microsoft has announced intentions to purchase Nokia’s devices and services business unit. We go through the facts and the important discussion points.
Microsoft’s slides link: https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=33AB03F0B0091FCB!21846&authkey=!AHp2qnRpOXn6GWg
The facts
- Microsoft has announced intentions to purchase Nokia’s devices and services unit
- Including licenses to all of Nokia’s patents for all products but NOT ownership of the entire patent portfolio
- Microsoft will however acquire 8500 design patents
- The bid is $7.2 Billion
- Purchase is due to close in Q1 2014 subject to shareholder approval and regulatory agreement
- Includes the transfer of staff including Elop
- Elop will be VP of the new “expanded” devices unit initially working parallel to Julie Larson-Green’s team, but eventually she will join his group
- Elop is now, as he always was, a candidate for the Microsoft CEO position
- Once the purchase is complete, the Nokia brand will not appear on smartphones (feature phones limited to 10 years)
- Microsoft have purchased the Lumia and Asha trademarks
- Microsoft has NOT purchased the HERE services group, will be a customer for the next 4 years
- There are no announced changes to the operating system team
- It is planned that one set of supporting services will be utilised across all Microsoft devices, this will eventually include Nokia’s services (other than HERE)
- No significant plans have been announced in regards to moving teams geographically, although some minor shuffling is to be expected
Discussion
- With the Lumia brand staying, but the Nokia brand out the door, is this acquisition positive news for market share?
- Surface phone? Or just Lumia?
- Nokia’s lead designer is not part of the deal, will more Finnish engineers follow or will they continue to work for Nokia?
- How might the acquisition affect software development of the Windows Phone platform?
- The deal only involves 4 years of HERE licensing, what is the future for the HERE platform on Windows Phone?
- We know about the HERE platform, but where does this leave other services such as Nokia Music?
- Does this change how exclusive Nokia apps are developed, will said exclusives now become available across the entire platform? (Credit to @VanillaForg)
- How does this affect developers and the enhanced Nokia SDKs + Incentive programs
- What can consumers expect to change?
- The new devices unit will have more budget than Nokia did, does this mean more devices or more research?
- Will the other players in the Windows Phone OEM game be affected positively or negatively?
- How will Microsoft’s tablet business be affected considering the upcoming Nokia announcements?
- Is there anything to the conspiracy theories involving Elop?
Community
- Live Q&A
Credits
You can find us all on Twitter @wpcentral, @daniel_rubino, @coppertop004, @RichEdmonds, @JayTBennett, @PaulRAcevedo, @Big_D5, @samsabri
This has been a Mobile Nations podcast, go to Mobilenations.com for more great shows covering everything mobile, or head over to the WPCentral Forums if you'd like to get involved with our community in discussing more about Windows Phone news, devices and apps.
Thanks to the WPCentral Store for sponsoring the podcast. Thanks also to these great artists for the music and to CCMixter.org for offering a great database of Creative Commons music!
