Nokia and Microsoft officials
hope that by combining forces, they can become significant players in a
lucrative and highly competitive smartphone market in which each has struggled while
rivals Google and Apple have flourished.
At a joint press conference in
London Feb. 11, Nokia and Microsoft announced plans to form a strategic
partnership that will include running Windows Phone
7 on Nokia mobile smartphones rather than Symbian or MeeGo, bringing
together their respective
strengths to create a new “global mobile ecosystem.”
In addition, they plan to create what
officials said are calling new service offerings.
Together, Nokia and Microsoft, Elop said at the event, “have the opportunity to disrupt the
current trajectory in the battle of ecosystems. We have a formidable plan to
ensure our collective leadership in the smartphone market and in the ecosystem
that surrounds it. Our long-term strategic alliance will build a global
ecosystem that creates opportunities beyond anything that currently exists.”
For more, read the eWeek article: Nokia, Microsoft Announce Partnership, New Strategies.