Nokia Bets Everything on Windows Phone

Nokia and Microsoft announced a major partnership in Feb. 2011, entailing Nokia’s commitment to the Windows Phone platform as the primary OS to be used on future Nokia devices. Nokia will shift from its current Symbian smartphone OS to building hardware that runs Windows Phone. The move aims to save Nokia’s eroding market share, which has been shrinking as sales of devices that run Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS have grown. The partnership could help the fledgling Windows Phone 7 platform gain attention and sales and increase its relevance to organizations and ISVs considering developing on the platform.

Partnership Outlines Future Devices, Services

Microsoft partnered with Nokia in the past to deliver Office, SharePoint, Exchange ActiveSync, System Center management, and Silverlight support on Nokia devices even though those devices did not run Windows Mobile (the predecessor to Windows Phone 7). In Sept. 2009, Stephen Elop left his position as president of Microsoft’s Business Division to become the CEO of Nokia, which may have signaled that future Microsoft-Nokia alliances were to come.