09.27.10
If You Can’t Beat Them, Hijack Them (Microsoft Joins Nokia and It Already Shows)
Summary: Microsoft’s mobile “Slog” has begun, with fake coverage (marketing), entryism, and many similar examples in other areas too
IN THE previous post we shed light on Microsoft’s tough struggle to matter in mobile as it continues losing an already low market share and executives too (some end up in Yahoo!). What better company to intrude than Nokia, which is a world leader?
“What better company to intrude than Nokia, which is a world leader?”Nokia has not been acting the same way [1, 2] since Microsoft DNA entered it [1, 2]. The article ‘Nokia “considering Windows Phone 7″‘ says that “New Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is considering running Windows Phone 7 on the company’s future smartphones, according to reports.”
“Agent Smith” says: “They own QT. [Are] they going to board the sinking [Windows] mobile 7??? Well, let them die embraced then…”
“It seems increasingly possible that Nokia will not help Linux as a platform, not like it used to anyway”The original claim is here in VentureBeat and it made a lot of waves [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Microsoft Nick called it a rumour and a new article from The Street is titled “Nokia’s Crisis Call to Microsoft”. Microsoft seems to have convinced EMC to do something similar with VMB_ware (whether it was implicit or explicit we do not know for sure).
“This would be bad for MeeGo, which they neglected/left out in their very recent big event.”Elop’s reign already shows some strategic change. Some months ago Nokia was committing itself to Linux, however now we find articles such as “Nokia pushes Symbian” and “Nokia Paying $10M For Symbian Software Devs”. “Nokia’s new CEO needs to change the message,” said this article from The Register. It seems increasingly possible that Nokia will not help Linux as a platform, not like it used to anyway. That’s just entryism in action, is it not? This would be bad for MeeGo, which they neglected/left out in their very recent big event. It would also be a death blow to Moblin (two Linux birds with one stone).
To name some more new articles, “Rumor has Nokia likely to use Windows Phone 7″ and “Nokia May Use Windows Phone 7 Says Report”. This is a key part: “The site says three sources have corroborated the rumours and that the arrival of former Microsoft employee Stephen Elop as CEO may hasten things significantly.”
It would make little sense from a pragmatic point of view because Vista Phone 7 [sic] is technically lagging. It can’t even handle tethering [1, 2]. Does Nokia consider joining the Microsoft Movement? “Nokia’s search for viable market positioning goes on” says this one headline and “Welcome to Nokia, Mr. Elop” says another headline.
Looking elsewhere at some other new examples/candidates for entryism, Glam Media is taking a lot of staff from Microsoft [1, 2] and now there’s another new addition, Adam Roston [1, 2, 3]. As one article puts it: “Most recently, Roston served as Director of Corporate Development at Microsoft, where he managed an M&A team covering businesses generating a reported $30 billion in annual revenue.”
“Will connections with the BBC, Glam Media and other such entities (Bill Gates buys many newspapers as well) be of any help here?”The Managing Director there is now from Microsoft too (there are several more). Taking a lesson from the Glam Media example (it’s a PR/publishing business), one ought to expect more positive coverage for Microsoft. It’s akin to the migration of many Microsoft executives from Microsoft UK to the BBC. About Juniper, which is also filled with many Microsoft executives [1, 2, 3], there is this new report titled “The Microsofting of Juniper Networks”. “The Microsoft pedigree of senior executives at Juniper Networks has infused a new software centrism within the routing and switching company,” says the article. Tom Nolle from CIMI Corp. is quotes as saying: “Juniper and Microsoft are converging on a common reality: software is what provides functionality [...]Juniper’s hoping the influx of Microsoft people taught them something they didn’t have before – people from a software culture who recognize marketing.”
Marketing. Yes, once again it’s marketing, not technical merit. Will connections with the BBC, Glam Media and other such entities (Bill Gates buys many newspapers as well) be of any help here?
In other news, this press release says that i365, A Seagate Company, gets a new EMEA leader from Microsoft: “Pellicaan previously was the EMEA Director for Microsoft Corporation’s Office Business Applications group and the Global Sales Director for the Duet Business Unit — a joint venture with SAP developing business process solutions within Microsoft Office. ”
“[O]ne needs to remember Microsoft’s “Slog” for mobile ($400 million or more in marketing alone for this).”Telstra, which has also been filling itself with some Microsoft seniors [1, 2], takes it up a notch: “Microsoft Australia veteran and partner strategy marketing and programs director, Inese Kingsmill, has jumped ship to Telstra (ASX:TLS) to take on a key marketing role.”
Marketing. Of course. “Telstra snares Microsoft partner director,” says CRN, so the Microsoft-Telstra influence shift continues.
Speaking of marketing, one needs to remember Microsoft’s “Slog” for mobile ($400 million or more in marketing alone for this). That ought to explain propaganda like [1, 2]. It uses the “Gates” brand out of place, it echoes Microsoft’s claims which refute analysts’ take (including this new one), and it does not even properly attribute the claims to Microsoft. That’s just an example of marketing in the clothing of journalism. Some of it is not even journalism, it’s just sites like ZDNet, whose blogs Google News foolishly aggregates. Can Microsoft simply buy its way using these endless “Slogs” or shameless marketing plugs? Morgan Stanley thinks it might and the Seattle Weekly says it may be a violation of the law: “Microsoft is launching Windows Phone 7 with much fanfare and even more cash. So much cash that Morgan Stanley analyst Ehud Gelblum predicts the Redmond Company could buy its way into this mobile OS war, using its cash to propel itself into third place behind Android and iOS.”
“I have just sat through 20 minute Windows phone 7 video at Engadget. The GUI is crude and ugly ugly ugly.”
–SatiperaThe part about “with much fanfare” does not seem to be backed by facts. It’s the cash which gives the illusion of it being so. Vista Phone 7 [sic] is a lot of marketing with no real substance (or worthy news) and many journalists dare to say it is bad, even though they get washed aside by the hype machine, e.g. articles Microsoft simply buys (through marketing agencies).
Our reader Satipera wrote some days ago: “I have just sat through 20 minute Windows phone 7 video at Engadget. The GUI is crude and ugly ugly ugly. Can’t see Google loosing any sleep” (Microsoft is trying to steal Android’s (and Chrome OS/Linux) thunder by showing it early).
“Oh, great,” wrote Hazzy a couple of days ago in response to more hype generation. Microsoft has been losing many Vista Phone 7 partners before launch and it seems like it may be paying carriers to order symbolic-sized stock and give the impression Microsoft’s marketing needs. It won’t work much better than it worked when KIN was released. Maybe it’s good that Microsoft is blowing so much money on a product which can never succeed.
Microsoft’s last hope seems to be entryism. Just like with Vista, the only way to sell a bad platform is to force the hardware companies (notably OEMs) to sell it. █
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girts said,
September 27, 2010 at 11:35 am
WHAT IS NEXT? TO CHANGE OTHER MOBILE COMPANY CEO’S. WHERE IS MICROSOFT GOING? WHEN WILL END THIS NIGHTMARE.
I think that there is need to do something as soon as possible.
Investors must show doors to Steve Balmer as soon as possible.
Agent_Smith said,
September 27, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Nokia ditching Linux(Meego/Moblin) for winblow$ mobile $even is utter nonsense. No, I’m not talking about what you wrote, Dr. Schestowitz. I am talking about the folks at Nokia. Are they out of their minds ? They desperately need a hit on smartphones, and, the 2 leading platforms are NIX(Android/iOS) based. Are they going to BET on a dead horse ? What’s the record for M$ cell phone operating systems ??? Kin ??? Jeezus merciful Christ, have mercy on those fools at Nokia. They don’t know what they are doing.
Mikko said,
September 28, 2010 at 4:30 am
If windows is the only os on phones then i will stop using them when the last symbian phone dies of old age
Dr. Roy Schestowitz Reply:
September 28th, 2010 at 6:15 am
Maybe Intel can take MeeGo and look for other phone makers, just in case Nokia is not so serious a partner anymore. Frankly, I’d rather see ARM succeed, not x86.
Watch out for future appointments in Nokia and who fills them (there are already big vacancies).
Nokia is one of the top Linux developers at the moment (as counted by number of commits). We need MeeGo.