Hello Masa,
Long time no hear from!
<< YLE is not a newspaper. It is a government owned broadcaster which has radio and TV stations. >>
Yes they are a broadcaster, BUT they also publish online news articles with much of it available in English. ...
>> Microsoft phone development boss in Finland; Nokia mum on visit
YLE Uutiset News (English)
News 21.6.2013 16:10 | updated 22.6.2013 16:02
yle.fi
Microsoft phone development boss Joe Belfiore is visiting Finland this weekend. The trip comes amid a cloud of conjecture over buyout bids for the ailing Finnish phone maker Nokia.
Microsoft product development boss Joe Belfiore will be spending the Midsummer holiday weekend in Finland.
Belfiore, who is responsible for development of Windows Phone products, revealed his travel plans in a post on the micro-blogging site Twitter. Belfiore issued a greeting from Espoo, home of struggling Finnish phone maker Nokia.
Apart from the brief disclosure on Twitter, no further information about the trip has been forthcoming from Belfiore or other sources.
On Saturday, Belfiore downplayed the significance of his visit to Nokia headquarters. He said in a tweet that it was just a regular part of the two companies' partnership.
Nokia dumped its proprietary Symbian mobile phone operating system for the Windows-based platform in an effort to reverse its declining fortunes in the growing smartphone market.
Nokia itself has been the subject of much speculation recently, with rumours that the company has been in buyout talks with the Chinese telecoms company Huawei. The leading Chinese technology firm Lenovo and Microsoft are also said to have had their eyes on Espoo.
All quiet in Espoo
Nokia communications chief Maija Taimi was tight-lipped about Belfiore’s visit. She said that the Microsoft heavyweight was in Keilaniemi, Espoo for cooperation talks.
“We cooperate closely on Windows Phone,” Taimi added.
When asked how often such visits are made, Taimi responded “I can’t say, but there is close cooperation.”
The Nokia communications chief said that the company would not join the ongoing speculation about its future.
“We don’t comment on market rumours. We don’t take any kind of position nor do we give advance information on whether or not we have anything to say later,” Taimi declared.
Enlightenment next week?
The analytics firm Inderes and the market research company Marketvision believe that if deals are being cooked up, evidence would first show in the fate of the networks subsidiary Nokia Siemens Networks. Siemens has in the past indicated that it would be willing to sell its stake in the joint venture.
“NSN has been in good shape. It is a very attractive opportunity. There might also be changes in the role of chief executive Stephen Elop,” said Marketvision analyst Toni Nygren.
“Microsoft and Lenovo are interested in Nokia’s phone operations and brand, not NSN. Another option would be to list NSN (on the stock exchange), go for private equity or then go for a complete buyout of Nokia,” said Inderes analyst Mikael Rautanen.
Marketvision’s Nygren expects some indication of the future path next week.
”Something could happen as early as the beginning of the week. I could imagine that directors don’t fly here just for fun,” Nygren said, referring to Belfiore’s weekend visit. ###
In Finnish ...
yle.fi
Also here's a YLE report from Wednesday (in Finnish) ...
yle.fi
Here's a rough English translation of the above ...
>> Nokia's Board of Directors met yesterday in the decision making process-standby
Yle news, according to the data, at least in part of Nokia's Board members has been processing available today. Nokia is believed to be preparing to make key decisions for the future of the company. Yle News, according to the information on Nokia's Board of Directors has been today Wednesday meeting, and at least some of the members of the Board of Directors has been processing available today. Market reviews and outright rumors of Nokia around the rotating cases fierce. Nokia had to yesterday traditional summer festivals. Yle News, according to the information before this session was also the Board and another Board meeting was planned for this day. Nokia explains that it does not comment on any of the company's internal meetings.
Authoritative publications in the last few days, presented a wide range of reviews of the Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks for the future. The Chinese manufacturer Huawei spelukoi, Director of The Telecommunications giant, in an interview with the Financial Times, the purchase of Nokia. The idea, however, was contested. Yle News reported yesterday that the network company Nokia Siemens Networks share are just working hard for the race. In the last budget, according to the newspaper the Wall Street Journal's Microsoft has negotiated the purchase of the Nokia phone businesses, according to the magazine, but the negotiations were derailed. Nokia's direction is expected to be some sort of connection with the company's interim financial report for the latest information on solutions for the next month after the mid. The strongest of the NSN:ää applies to the decisions of the review going on, but the other could not be ruled out. ###
WP Central's comments on the matter are below ...
>> Nokia’s Board of Directors reportedly summoned to Finland; discussing the company’s future?
Daniel Rubino
Windows Phone Central
Friday, Jun 21, 2013 at 2:54 pm
m.wpcentral.com
Things are really starting to pick up regarding rumors of Nokia’s future. It all started with Huawei making what at the time seemed like an absurd offer-of-interest to buy Nokia, followed by a Wall Street Journal article detailing a failed Microsoft purchase and peaked with one of Finland’s largest papers detailing how the company could be broken up. Now, Finnish national broadcaster, YLE, is reporting that Nokia’s Board of Directors have been summoned to Finland for a meeting on Wednesday and some were even on standby for a carryover meeting on Thursday. YLE notes that they were “…preparing key decisions on the future of the company”, which are expected to be finalized by the July 18th interim report from the company. From the tone of the article, this does not sound like a normally-scheduled meeting, but rather impromptu, signaling something perhaps more dramatic ocurring behind the scenes.
We should also note that Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president and manager for Windows Phone Program Management at Microsoft, is “on vacation” in Finland right now, visiting Nokia right at the same time. In a not-so-secret disclosure, Belfiore said the following on Twitter:
“I'm actually on vacation... that's why so quiet lately... but stopping in to visit Nokia this week…I won't be at build next week... am "stuck" in Europe.”
Just this morning, Belfiore posted a photo of Kevin Shields, SVP of program and product management for Nokia smart devices, in Espoo, Finland.
Nokia SVP Kevin Shields, in Finland, taken by Joe Belfiore
[Note: Joe and Kevin are old friends and rhey both worked together for Terry Myerson at Microsoft]
Now normally, we wouldn’t make too much about Belfiore being in Finland, after all, we imagine it is part of his job to work with Microsoft’s largest partner on Windows Phone and that includes trips to Nokia on occasion. Plus, it’s not like he would be there to negotiate or sign a deal on behalf of Microsoft—that’s just not his role.
But Belfiore could be serving as some kind of guidance to the Board if they are discussing options for the company going forward. If there is anyone who does speak for Microsoft about Windows Phone and its future, it’s Belfiore.
Much ado about nothing?
Putting all of these stories together, we can’t help but use the old adage “Where’s there’s smoke, there’s fire”. Nokia could be discussing everything from selling to another OEM or breaking off the Siemens joint-venture, something that has also made the news this week. Indeed, we would not be surprised if it is the Siemens sale that is taking priority as opposed to say, Huawei buying out Nokia altogether, which we think is unlikely. ###
Where there is smoke ...
... there is SMOKE!
Regards,
- Eric - |
