A mariage of giants:Nokia Weds Microsoft.

Last week there was panic and a slight buzz when Nokia and Microsoft announced plans to  work together to use their complementary strengths and expertise to create a new global mobile ecosystem. [this is how the Skynet program was developed]

The two behemoths each in their own right are obviously looking to retain market share; Nokia from the android and Apple business which has been bleeding the market and Microsoft to Apple’s Mac and the proliferation of Linux and open source.

What good could possibly come out of this marriage of giants?

Under the proposed partnership:

·        Nokia would adopt Windows Phone as its principal smartphone strategy.

·        Nokia would help drive the future of Windows Phone.  Nokia would contribute its expertise on hardware design, language support.

·        Nokia and Microsoft would closely collaborate on joint marketing initiatives and a shared development roadmap.

·        Bing would power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices and services, giving customers access to Bing’s next generation search capabilities. 

·        Nokia Maps would be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services.   For example, Maps would be integrated with Microsoft’s Bing search engine to form a unique local search and advertising experience

·        Nokia’s extensive operator billing agreements would make it easier for consumers to purchase Nokia Windows Phone services in countries where credit-card use is low.

·        Microsoft development tools would be used to create applications to run on Nokia Windows Phones, allowing developers to easily leverage the ecosystem’s global reach. 

·        Nokia’s content and application store would be integrated with Microsoft Marketplace for a more compelling consumer experience.

It looks like the search for market share is on… even though some people will argue that it’s the race to connect the next 1 billion people in emerging markets to the internet.

The real questions though are the same questions we have asked since the launch of the Seacom cable in Kampala, since the launch of Orange in Uganda, since the coming of 3G+, I could go on but you know what I mean. It means no difference to me whether Bill has a snogavitch with Steve. In the end, I want to be able to summon my booty call at 2:30 and say “get over here” and not have the network clogged because of free calls.

Will keep an eye out for this storm, because when Steve Jobs dies, and we can’t find the app to cure pancreatic cancer, or election rigging, we’ll really be screwed.