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Microsoft completes Nokia acquisition as mobile giant squashes rebrand rumour

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By Natalie Mortimer, N/A

April 25, 2014 | 3 min read

Microsoft has today (25 April) announced it has completed its acquisition of the Nokia Devices and Services business, which will see the brand’s Lumia and Asha ranges, feature phones and the Nokia X family of devices assimilated with Microsoft products.

Despite suggestions leaked this week that Nokia would change its name to Microsoft Mobile, the Finnish communications company said on Twitter today that it would continue with Nokia- branded products, as “Microsoft has licensed the Nokia brand for some time”.

Nokia’s design and sales teams have also been acquired in the merger in addition to its manufacturing operations, with the exclusion of factories in South Korea and India. A total of 25,000 employees have been transferred to Microsoft.

In a statement Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the acquisition would “advance our transformation” as it aims to deliver more innovation to a market the software giant says is worth $50 billion annually.

A blog post published on the Nokia website said: "As Microsoft, we will continue to produce, sell and support the phones and devices you have come to love… The hardware engineering and design talent that produced world-leading devices under Nokia ownership will continue to set the mark for new mobile experiences and innovation."

Former Nokia president and CEO Stephen Elop, who will serve as executive vice president of the Microsoft Devices Group, penned an open letter to Microsoft, which stated: “As Microsoft and Nokia Devices and Services come together as an expanded family, we will unify our passion, dedication and commitment to bringing you the best of what our joint technologies have to offer.”

“Together, we can connect and empower people with one experience for everything in their life in a world where it is mobile first and cloud first.”

Microsoft revealed that it was purchasing the former mobile market leader for $7.2bn last September.

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