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Microsoft’s Pays Nokia Millions During Windows Phone Transition – Ina Fried – Mobile – AllThingsD

Peter O'Kelly — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:56:00 +0000

I suspect Tim Cook finds this amusing

As part of Thursday’s earnings report, Nokia noted it received $250 million from Redmond in the first of many quarterly “platform support payments.” It’s part of what the company says will ultimately be billions of dollars in support of its shift to Windows Phone.

Nokia also notes that it pays Microsoft royalties on each phone and has guaranteed minimum commitments, an amount it also expects to ultimately be measured in the billions of dollars.

Microsoft's Pays Nokia Millions During Windows Phone Transition - Ina Fried - Mobile - AllThingsD

Continue reading: Microsoft’s Pays Nokia Millions During Windows Phone Transition – Ina Fried – Mobile – AllThingsD

Microsoft Leads ‘Old Dogs’ in Topping Estimates; Google Dips – Businessweek

Peter O'Kelly — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:39:00 +0000

Happier times for IBM and MSFT shareholders

The results were a relief for many investors after Oracle Corp. reported weaker-than-anticipated earnings last month, fueling speculation that businesses were holding off on technology spending, said Brendan Barnicle, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities in Portland.

“The results of these three companies suggest that was an Oracle-specific event,” Barnicle said.

The positive outlook also contrasted with the earnings of Google Inc., which delivered its report yesterday. The Mountain View, California-based company missed analysts’ sales and profit estimates, dragged down by the European crisis and a push into mobile technology, which yields lower ad revenue. Google shares tumbled as much as 10 percent in late trading and were down as much as 9.1 percent in German trading today.

Microsoft Leads ‘Old Dogs’ in Topping Estimates; Google Dips - Businessweek

Will Microsoft buy RIM or Nokia? | Monday Note

Peter O'Kelly — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:46:00 +0000

Excerpt from a Jean-Louis Gassée perspective

With RIM’s market share dropping precipitously, and no sign of a rebound with spanking new models until the second half of 2012, who would want to risk billions in a market that’s controlled by competitors who manage to be both huge and fast-growing? Sure, RIM is still in the black, but its cash reserves are dwindling: the Cash and cash equivalents line went from $2.7B last February to $1.1B in November 2011. What’s left will evaporate quickly if revenue and profits keep dropping, as they’re likely to do for the foreseeable future.

Will Microsoft buy RIM or Nokia? | Monday Note

Microsoft execs jab at Google after signing Android patent-licensing deal – San Jose Mercury News

Peter O'Kelly — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:24:00 +0000

Interesting times

In a series of tweets after the agreement was announced, some with the hashtag #anotherandroidlicense and making reference to the Occupy movement's catchphrases, Microsoft execs teased Google and chided Apple for its penchant to sue instead of sign licensing agreements.

"Hey Google -- we are the 70%," Frank Shaw, Microsoft's vice president of corporate communications tweeted, referencing Microsoft's assertion that it now has deals on 70 percent or more of the Android smartphones sold. Shaw later posted on Twitter, "Can we just agree to drop the patents-as-weapons meme? When effective licensing enables companies to share IP, the metaphor falls apart."

Microsoft execs jab at Google after signing Android patent-licensing deal - San Jose Mercury News

Steve Ballmer Reboots – Businessweek

Peter O'Kelly — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:17:00 +0000

Final paragraphs of an extensive BW cover story article (on the cover: “No More Mr. Monkey Boy”)

History smiles on Jobs because Apple almost went under and came back stronger than before. Ballmer, you could say, never had the advantage of bouncing back from near-obliteration—he’s spent much of his time as CEO trying to expand beyond Gates’s vision. He’s not stuck in the past, he says, but learning new tricks. He’s running an early version of Windows 8 on a tablet and living an old digital dream. “I’ve gone paperless,” he boasts. “Zero! I get pissed when people have paper in meetings now.”

During a reflective moment, Ballmer says that if he had it to do all over again, he would dedicate more time to watching over the development process of products rather than just issuing a vision to his employees. “I’d say probably Bill and I were spending a lot more of our energy on where to go,” he says. “And we should balance our energy better on how to make sure we’re going to get where we want to go.”

Steve Ballmer Reboots - Businessweek

Windows Phone 7, Windows 8: How Microsoft can reclaim its throne in 2012 – Slate Magazine

Peter O'Kelly — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:02:00 +0000

Excerpt from an accentuate-the-positive Microsoft reality check

If Microsoft fails now, it’ll be because of two other shortcomings. First, it relies on third-party hardware makers to get its software to the masses. And second, it still derives most of its money from desktop PCs. When Steve Jobs came back to Apple in the 1990s, he had nothing to lose. He could scrap Apple’s OS and replace it with something new, push the firm into mobile devices, and open physical and digital stores. Sure, some of this seemed crazy, but what was the harm in trying—Apple was nearly bankrupt anyway. And then, when he decided what he wanted to do, Jobs could control the experience entirely. He didn’t have to wait around for Dell or HP to make great laptops worthy of his new OS. He could do it himself.

Steve Ballmer, meanwhile, does have a lot to lose.

Windows Phone 7, Windows 8: How Microsoft can reclaim its throne in 2012 - Slate Magazine

CHART OF THE DAY: Will Google’s Market Cap Pass Microsoft’s This Year?

Peter O'Kelly — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:27:00 +0000

Another potential Google/Microsoft milestone for 2012

Who will it be this year? Well, it could be Google. The search company is just $19 billion behind Microsoft. All it would take is Google's stock going on a tear, and Microsoft's fading or sitting still.

CHART OF THE DAY: Will Google's Market Cap Pass Microsoft's This Year?

Continue reading: CHART OF THE DAY: Will Google’s Market Cap Pass Microsoft’s This Year?

2011: Shift Happens | Monday Note

Peter O'Kelly — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:52:00 +0000

Excerpt from a Jean-Louis Gassée year-end review

Nokia: The company has more cash, about 10B€ ($13B) and a big partner in Microsoft. The latest Nokia financials are here and show the company’s business decelerates on all fronts, this in a booming market. Even if initial reactions to the newest Windows Phone handsets aren’t said to be wildly enthusiastic, it is a bit early to draw conclusions. But Wall Street (whose wisdom is less than infinite) has already passed judgment:

Let’s put it plainly: No one but RIM needs RIM; but Microsoft’s future in the smartphone (and, perhaps, tablet) market requires a strong Nokia. Other Windows Phone “partners” such as Samsung are happily pushing Android handsets, they don’t need Microsoft the way PC OEMs still need Windows. Why struggle with a two-headed hydra when you can acquire Nokia and have only one CEO fully in charge? Would this be Andy Lees’ mission?

2011: Shift Happens | Monday Note

Why Microsoft suddenly wants its software on the iPad | Business Tech – CNET News

Peter O'Kelly — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:36:00 +0000

tbd if Microsoft’s apparent strategy to relegate non-PC devices to satellite status (i.e., you do your primary work on a Windows PC using Office, and selectively interact with the content/services/etc. from other devices), essentially treating the iPad, for example, like a super-sized iPhone, will be successful

First, Microsoft realizes that it doesn't dominate computing anymore--especially the mobile world. That reality is running into another key fact: Microsoft applications are everywhere.

In other words, Microsoft's plans to launch iPad versions of OneNote, Lync and SkyDrive, which isn't optimized for Apple'stablet, is just smart business. Simply put, the killer app on a single platform days are over.

Why Microsoft suddenly wants its software on the iPad | Business Tech - CNET News

Microsoft offers free Windows phones to Android malware victims | Naked Security

Peter O'Kelly — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:27:00 +0000

Crowdsourcing FUD – I wonder if these guys received free Android phones

Want a free Windows Phone? Well, it turns out that you may be able to get one for free - all you need to do is tell Microsoft about the malware problems you've had with Android smartphones.

Yes, that's right. Microsoft's latest social media marketing initiative is not to focus on the benefits of a Windows Phone device but instead - in a somewhat below-the-belt punch - invite Android users to share their stories of malware woe.

Microsoft offers free Windows phones to Android malware victims | Naked Security