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The Immediate Aftermath - when software bought hardware |
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Nokia running Windows? Or is it that the Windows maker running Nokia? If you believe all that you read in the news, you could be forgiven for believing that this deal is about more than Nokia's hardware running Microsoft's software. It would seem more like Microsoft management is now moving into Nokia's house, and starting to run it. That, even as Nokia CEO Elop made it clear in an interview with Bloomberg that Nokia has no plans to merge with Microsoft.  Blown away by the winds of extreme change at Nokia is Mark Louison, president of Nokia Inc., deciding to pursue opportunities outside the company. In his place, comes Microsoft's man Chris Weber, a 16-year veteran of the software giant. Also on his way out is MeeGo EVP Alberto Torres. Reports also picked up on Elop's statement that the move to run Windows on Nokia would result in substantial layoffs, even in Finland, in addition to the voluntary churn already visible.Other reports said Nokia should have considered at greater length the history of Windows Mobile OS bombing on each and every hardware platform that Microsoft partnered with since the turn of the century. Previous attempts by Microsoft to shore up market share for the mobile operating system though deals with Ericsson, Sendo, Motorola, Palm and LG have been met with little success. Moreover, reports said, the game has shifted to feature-rich platforms such as Android, iPhone, even Blackberry, which allow users style and functionality irrespective of the hardware they run on through their ecosystem, developer community, and app stores, which is an area where Windows Phone 7 does not match up to the competition. A report specifically outlined the shortfalls in Nokia's market strategy, which it believed to be the cause for its shrinking market share, rather than troubles with its Symbian OS. In taking the plunge from the “burning platform” that Elop said Nokia was on, he has outlined that Nokia would get billions of dollars from Microsoft in support to help develop and market smart phones on its operating system, even though Nokia would pay royalty to the software giant to license the software. Additionally, he foresees reductions in operating expenses, partly from the layoffs, as internal OS development comes to a sure, gradual end. A report by Reuters said the wireless industry was positive on the deal as it was “good for competition and innovation,” even though investor confidence was clearly missing with Nokia's stock plummeting around 20% to levels unseen since 1998. The report spoke of other OEMs such as Samsung and HTC supporting the move, even though there reports about how these OEMs perceived the competitive landscape once Windows Phone 7 arrives on Nokia were conspicuous by their relative absence. It would seem at this point that because these OEMs sell most of their products running Google's Android, they are fairly secure in their view that the alliance does not represent a credible threat to the larger chunk of their respective market shares, which is in line with investor reactions. What is clear, is that the better part of the world, at least at this point, believes Microsoft is the cat who licked the cream while Nokia probably got a bit of a raw deal. |
LISTS AND RESEARCH
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Global Software Top 100 - Edition 2011
- The Global Software Top 100 is a list of the world's largest software companies, ranked by annual software revenues. The list is based upon revenue information of 10,000+ IT companies worldwide.
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Software industry trends (2011)
- This research article (accompanying the Global Software Top 100) describes changes in the software industry playing field. It analyses trends and key players and forecasts future developments.
- Top hardware companies
- A list of the world's largest hardware companies.
- What happens in the hardware industry?
- Trends and analysis of the hardware industry and its key players.
- Top IT services companies
- A list of the world's largest IT services companies, ranked by annual services revenues. This link will take you to www.servicestop100.org.
- IT services companies: healthy growth
- What is happening in the IT services industry? Read this research publication to find out about trends and key players in the IT services industry.
- Top gaming companies (2010)
- Entertainment is good business, and gaming software companies are growing faster than the rest of the software industry. This research article discusses trends and key players in the gaming business.
- Top ERP companies
- A research publication about the world's leading players in enterprise software.
- Top security software companies
- A research publication discussing the world's leading publishers of security software: antivirus-, spamfiltering-, intrusion detection- and firewall software.
- The fastest growing software companies
- This research publication reveals the fastest growing software companies in the world.
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CRM companies: a short list
- A short list of the leading software companies selling Customer Relationship Management software; aimed at IT managers looking to purchase CRM software.
- Top software companies in the US (2010)
- A list of the largest software companies in the United States, ranked by annual software revenues. 2010 Edition, posted 15 December 2010.
- U.S. software industry trends (2010)
- A research publication discussing the trends and the key players in the software industry in the United States. Posted 15 December 2010.
- Top companies in the world (not just software)
- A general list of the largest companies in the world, ranked by revenues. Not just software companies; in fact, there are no software companies in it...
- Top IT companies
- A list of the largest IT companies in the world, ranked by annual revenues. Includes hardware, software and services.
