Steve Ballmer email to Microsoft employees on Nokia acquisition

Note, as per a few people Microsoft trying to "build everything for everyone" might sound like "lack of focus" but this has worked for Microsoft and will work for them in the future.

In countries like mine(India), the common guy on the street buys things that are cheap and durable. Which is why Nokia phones were such a huge hit for more than a decade, anything Nokia launched would sell like hot cakes. You cold buy a mobile for ~2000 rupees which wouldn't die for years. My dad used his mobile for a decade, and then we had to buy a new one for him after it got wet in the rain. He insisted we buy him Nokia and Nokia only. That's the brand power Nokia holds in India.

You will see memes all over Facebook, depicting Nokia as Thor's hammer. That's what Nokia is known for- ruggedness, durability, quality and amazing value for money.

And now if they can really come up with something similar for tablets and smart phone for the common market it will be a huge success. Apple makes very delicate phones, which are also very expensive for consumers in developing countries. And now with Steve Jobs gone, within a few years it will be price wars all over again.

Though I appreciate what Apple has done on the usability end. I believe things like price, durability and ruggedness are a big part of good engineering. And this is where Nokia scores above Apple.

With the Windows mobile OS, Nokia can great traction in markets like India. Especially if they can keep the price in check.

I just hope Microsoft doesn't mess up with Nokia, the last thing I would hate to see is Nokia lose its hardware edge.

"Clearly, greater success with phones will strengthen the overall opportunity for us and our partners to deliver on our strategy to create a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most."

Corporate beige-speak at its worst. How can anybody be inspired by this?

    In fact, Nokia Windows Phones are the
    fastest-growing phones in the smartphone market.

For comparison, in April 2013, Google was reporting 1.5 million Android devices activated every day. http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/16/eric-schmidt-google-now-a...

So Microsoft's "strategy" is to build everything for everyone, everywhere, all the time. Hilarious. This sounds less like a strategy, and more like a sentence concocted to justify an inability to focus.

Microsoft: * Elop leaves of his own accord * Microsoft continues to make money but fails to create any new markets * Elop runs Nokia into ground with Microsoft's conspicuous help * Get Elop and his now shattered company back at Microsoft's hour of need (?) * ???

Do they even have profits to accelerate on?

Now Microsoft being on top has an important decision to make. To force itself onto Nokia, or learn their ways. In other words, they can suffocate Nokia's engineering culture, or relearn it from them.

The later would be the best option for everybody including us all. However, I don't have much faith in the managerial class to play this right.