• Diyan
• On April 25, 2014

The End of an era

Today is a sad day for all Nokia fans around the world. Nokia, former market leader, is leaving the smartphone business by selling its assets to Microsoft. Both companies have announced that the transaction will be completed today, April 25, so Nokia Devices and Services now become a major part of Microsoft.

The $7.2 billion acquisition deal announced back in September 2013 is expected to help Microsoft accelerate innovation and popularity of Windows Phone, as Redmond takes full control over Nokia’s mobile division, now renamed to Microsoft Mobile. Microsoft will also manage Nokia.com domain and all social accounts for 1 year, in favor of both companies. Several changes regarding the deal have been made since last year. Nokia’s Korean factory and Indian’s Chennai plant are not part of the deal, and they won’t be acquired by Microsoft. The Chennai factory, which has 5200 employees, becomes a contract manufacturing unit for Microsoft, so technically Nokia will continue to make phones under different brands.

The next chapter

Following the transition, Nokia will focus on three main areas – NSN (network infrastructure), HERE (mapping and location services) and Advanced Technologies (tech development and licensing). Nokia branded smartphones will be no longer produced after April 25.  Instead we will have ‘Lumia’, so the transition will not be so painful. The last Nokia smartphones will be Nokia Lumia 630 and Nokia Lumia 930, as they were the last models announced before the deal closure. Cheap Nokia branded feature phones will continue to exist for several years from now on, as Microsoft and Nokia have signed a license agreement regarding the name. The new independent Nokia is free to re-enter the smartphone market after 2015, but the company will need to build a brand new unit and hire specialists, as all of them now become a part of Microsoft Mobile.

A Brief History of Nokia

• 1865: Nokia started as a Paper Mill, Founded in Tampere, Finland
• 1912: Nokia moved to cable works and rubber
• 1960: The company began selling operating computers
• 1967: Nokia Corporation created
• 1982: Nokia launched a digital switch
• 1984: First Mobira Talkman mobile phone
• 1987: Mobira Cityman, the first handheld mobile phone
• 1987: Nokia creates the first mobile standard (GSM)
• 1991: World’s first GSM call
• 1992: Nokia entered the telecoms business
• 1992: World’s first commercial GSM – Nokia 1011
• 1994: World’s first satellite call
• 1994: The famous Nokia tune was created
• 1997: ‘Snake’ game debuted on Nokia 6110
• 1999: Nokia 7110 was the first WAP phone
• 2002: Nokia 7650 – the first cameraphone
• 2004: The first Nokia phone with touchscreen – 7710
• 2005: Nokia launched ‘N’ series
• 2007: The rise of OVI services
• 2010: Nokia N8 had a 12-megapixel camera with autofocus
• 2011: Nokia announced it would build Windows Phone handsets
• 2012: Nokia launched 808 PureView with a record 41MP camera onboard
• 2013: Nokia had over 90% of the whole Windows Phone market
• 2014: Nokia announced Nokia X platform based on Android
• 2014: On April 25, Nokia leaves the smartphone market, as its Devices & Services unit is acquired by Microsoft