Microsoft's Alliances And Acquisitions

Image via CrunchBase

Forbes: Nokia’s Smartphone Chief On Microsoft Alliance, Future Windows Devices: the Finnish giant’s transition from its homegrown Symbian platform to Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system ....... The future of Nokia and, to a certain extent, of Microsoft’s mobile ambitions largely hinges on the success of the two companies’ alliance. ..... several Nokia devices were already running Mango, the latest version of Windows Phone software. ...... the first batch of Nokia Windows Phones will be a “small portfolio” of multiple devices. ...... Nokia was an early advocate for NFC, which enables phones to wirelessly exchange data such as payment information, mobile tickets, business card contacts and website links. ...... Early Nokia Windows Phones may also include a China-specific device.

Microsoft allied with Nokia, the number one name in mobile phone hardware. Nokia was struggling under the onslaught of smartphones and it looked like Android was about to take over the world. And Microsoft was largely missing in action. The Windows phone was widely considered a joke.

Bing - But It's Not Google - used to be an industry joke as well. Search was best left to Google.

Windows and Office looked passe. Chrome was coming. Google Apps were all over the place. The smart crowd was into Google Apps.

But Bing plus Facebook is one hell of a ride. And Nokia plus Windows could still deliver on two fronts.

And I still think Steve Ballmer bought Skype for media attention.

But Microsoft does feel like it has some of its mojo back. And add to that its 3D computing moves. This giant will still run a few more laps.

Microsoft's Second Act?
Could Skype Be Microsoft's YouTube?
Microsoft's Gesture
Image via CrunchBase

Related articles

• Nokia's Smartphone Chief On Microsoft Alliance, Future Windows Devices (blogs.forbes.com)
• "First Nokia Windows Phones to run Microsoft Mango" and related posts (noknok.tv)
• Windows Phone Mango details announced by Microsoft (ubergizmo.com)
• Nokia: Our first Windows Phone will run Mango (slashgear.com)
• Microsoft revamps phone software, adds handset makers (theglobeandmail.com)
• First Nokia Windows Phone to Run Mango (intomobile.com)
• First Nokia WP devices (plural) runs on Mango, already in labs... (dgui.wordpress.com)
• "Windows Phone 7.5 Mango to Bring 500 New Features" and related posts (geekwithlaptop.com)
• Nokia: First Windows Phone will run Mango OS (dialtosave.co.uk)
• VIDEO: Microsoft's new look for Nokia (news.bbc.co.uk)

Microsoft's Second Act?

Image via CrunchBase
(Article first published as Microsoft's Second Act? on Technorati.)

Microsoft buying Skype could still fail, and we will know in a year, but something tells me this purchase that was pushed behind the scenes by Bill Gates himself might help Microsoft become a post PC company, a player also in the smartphone and tablet spaces. Skype's deepest possible integration with the Windows phone just might work wonders.

Bigger than that has been Microsoft's teaming up with Google arch rival Facebook on search. Bing now has access to Facebook stuff that Google simply will not have. Stuff that individual users of Facebook might choose to make public to Everyone would still land in Google's lap, but Bing has been given special treatment. This is big. For the first time Google Search has competition.

Before that Steve Ballmer made some moves in 3D computing. That is another space Microsoft might look good in.



The fog on Microsoft has not dissipated yet. But Microsoft was fast becoming the metaphor for big companies where innovation stops. That might start to wind down now. But it is still early to tell. And companies like Google are no sitting ducks. The immense sizzle in the mobile space is bound to throw up new names with exciting products. But I think it is fair to say Microsoft is now back as a player in the game.

Related articles

• Video: Microsoft's Ballmer Explains His Purchase Of Skype (paidcontent.org)
• Microsoft Buys Video & Messaging Company, Skype, For $8.5 Billion (reelseo.com)
• Personalised Search Through Bing Can be Beneficial to Brands, Says Punch Communications (prweb.com)
• Microsoft purchased Skype to keep it out of Google's hands (edibleapple.com)
• Ballmer Would Not Let Skype Shop Around For A Better Deal (MSFT) (businessinsider.com)
• Microsoft Calls Skype On Our Dime (businessinsider.com)
• THE MICROSOFT INVESTOR: Microsoft Faces Unresolved Questions Over Its Strategy (MSFT) (businessinsider.com)
• Microsoft's Qi Lu Talks Future of the Web: Look Out, Facebook, Groupon, Apple, and (Oh Yeah) Google (xconomy.com)
• Microsoft said tricked into overbidding for Skype by $4.5b (electronista.com)