Microsoft recently acquired Nokia’s hardware and software division, which means that Microsoft owns the Lumia smartphone brand. But what are Microsoft’s plans for the Lumia brand? According to Nokia’s EVP for Sales and Marketing, Chris Weber, Microsoft wants to create a unified brand across Lumia and other Windows based devices, such as the Surface.
“On smartphones, it’s more complicated and we’ll be seeking to create a unified brand across Lumia and other Windows based devices. But we’re still a long way from when that decision has to be made,” Nokia stated in an official blog post. The big question is, will Microsoft get rid of the Lumia brand name and simply call new Windows Phone devices as Surface phones? Or will we see new Lumia tablets? These names are just speculation since no one knows just yet what Microsoft intends to do.
“Nokia as a company will remain. Microsoft isn’t buying the whole company, just a part.”
So what’s next for Nokia after this acquisition? Well, in essence, nothing has changed now. In six months, we will see faster innovation from Nokia when it comes to the feature phone range, backed by Microsoft’s help. As for customer support, warranties, and guarantees, nothing changes due to the acquisition.
“We expect our smartphone, mobile phone, industrial design, support and all the related teams to be doing their same job to the same standards, but working for Microsoft. Working with Microsoft we can increase the awareness and growth of Windows Phone, Asha and our feature phones. We can build upon the success of Lumia and create a stronger, faster, more innovative route to driving this portfolio and the exciting ecosystem around it,” Weber stated.
It will also mean faster innovation in our Asha and feature phone range – with the backing of Microsoft – a real boost to our goal of connecting the next billion people to the Internet,” Weber adds.
The bottom line is that the Windows Phone ecosystem now gets more investment, while Nokia’s design, durability, apps and support will not change. Nokia, as a company, isnt going anywhere. Microsoft simply purchased a portion of the company. It is still a great time to purchase a Nokia smartphone!
