The official Nokia blog says it is now official – Nokia is getting hitched to Microsoft! You have to love the joint announcement so soon after the so-called ‘leaked memo’ from Nokia CEO, and supposedly ex-Microsoft man, Stephen Elop. The rhetoric is pure Ballmer, though.
“Today in London, our two companies announced plans for a broad strategic partnership that combines the respective strengths of our companies and builds a new global mobile ecosystem. The partnership increases our scale, which will result in significant benefits for consumers, developers, mobile operators and businesses around the world. We both are incredibly excited about the journey we are on together.
“Today, the battle is moving from one of mobile devices to one of mobile ecosystems, and our strengths here are complementary. Ecosystems thrive when they reach scale, when they are fueled by energy and innovation and when they provide benefits and value to each person or company who participates. This is what we are creating; this is our vision; this is the work we are driving from this day forward.”
Wow, stirring stuff but the stark reality is quite different. One wonders how two diminishing power-houses getting together to create an ecosystem (whatever that is) that will suddenly make the consumers that have been avoiding both brands suddenly rush back excitedly.
“Together, we have some of the world’s most admired brands, including Windows, Office, Bing, Xbox Live, NAVTEQ and Nokia. We also have a shared understanding of what it takes to build and sustain a mobile ecosystem, which includes the entire experience from the device to the software to the applications, services and the marketplace.”
Maybe that should have read, ‘we used have some of the world’s most admired brands but we have somehow let our market positions and brand be eroded by disruptive influences. Not to worry, together we will become a mighty force terrible to behold, somehow.’
All the details of the marriage are still a little sketchy. It will be interesting to see what past Microsoft allies like HTC, Samsung and others will be thinking, if they care at all. It seems they are finding greater success with Android these days.
This certainly has all the making of another blockbuster movie. The next chapter will unfold to packed houses in Barcelona and you can bet Steve Ballmer will be in his most excitable and buoyant form, after all, this is just the start of the honeymoon.
Yesterday, Elop was supposedly using the analogy of being on a burning oil platform. Today it looks like he’s jumped overboard to join a life raft with a slow leak.