Nokia USA president is out, replaced by Microsoft vet Chris Weber

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/12/nokia-usa-president-is-out-replaced-by-microsoft-vet-chris-webe/

by mfukar • 15 years ago

39 32 15 years ago

Is this how things are done now? Definitely cheaper than a buyout and you don't have to worry about regulatory backlash from either country's government.

brudgers• 15 years ago

When corporations are suffering as Nokia is, regional management changes happen all the time. I don't think anyone can argue that Mark Louison was doing a swell job of promoting Nokia in the US and that Nokia's US market share will suffer because of the change.

rbanffy10• 15 years ago

The good thing is that it can't get negative

Vivtek• 15 years ago

Corporate colonization.

rbanffy10• 15 years ago

Next time you send an army to invade a foreign country, you can call it a "partnership".

joe_the_user• 15 years ago

I think the main thing that's happening is the common philosophy among investment consultants today that when a stock isn't making bank for a few quarters, it is time to sell it for spare parts.

It might that this is "responsible". But it is worth consider that Apple wouldn't exist if that logic had been followed.

saturdaysaint3• 15 years ago

Why do you imply that Microsoft is the prime mover in this whole turn of events? I think it's clear that the board, shareholders, and much of the public (witness the hemorrhaging marketshare) had lost faith in the ability of Nokia to develop a modern smartphone operating system internally. It's likely that the board brought in Elop (and , yes, some of his former colleagues) to make a deal like this happen under the most favorable terms for Nokia.

rbanffy10• 15 years ago

Considering the beating Nokia shares took after the announcement, I don't think that same public has any faith on Microsoft's ability to deliver a modern operating system.

rst• 15 years ago

What's not so clear is that this strategy was the right one. Particularly since the big, bold move isn't doing Windows Phone 7. (They're late to that party already; LG, Samsung and HTC already have phones out now.) Instead, what distinguishes Nokia so far is what they're not doing: fielding an Android device. And if you think Nokia doesn't have enough resources to do both, why haven't they dumped Meego yet?

There may be unannounced considerations that make this deal reasonable. But if you're going to bet your company on a single third-party platform (something that you don't need to do), it seems odd for it to be one that has yet to gain any serious traction in the marketplace.

Hence (I think) the suggestions that, to put it politely, Elop's past affiliations have skewed his judgment...

endtime2• 15 years ago

If I were Elop, I'd want to hire someone I knew and felt I could trust to do the job. Elop probably knows a lot of people at Microsoft. Expecting him not to hire a Softie would be tying a hand behind his back.

rbanffy10• 15 years ago

And that is exactly the problem of hiring softies - they export the amazingly successful practices that resulted in blockbusters like Vista, Zune and Kin.

endtime2• 15 years ago

Your comment seems like a total non sequitur. Plus, you conveniently exclude successes like Windows XP, Windows 7, Office, SQL Server, Sharepoint, XBox, etc.

MartinCron2• 15 years ago

On a more serious note...

I'm in Seattle, and I've worked with a lot of ex-Microsoft people on various projects. I find that they are often committed to the Microsoft way of doing things, which is often appropriate for a huge software company, but wildly inappropriate for a small startup.

Nokia USA president is out, replaced by Microsoft vet Chris Weber

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