I never thought I would write those words, but there it is. Just a few years ago, Nokia was lapping its competitors. Now it’s exiting. How evanescent is market leadership in ICTs?
Beleaguered Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia will sell its mobile phone unit to US group Microsoft for 5.44 billion euros ($7.17 billion), it said on Tuesday.
Nokia will grant Microsoft a 10-year non-exclusive licence to its patents and will itself focus on network infrastructure and services, which it called “the best path forward for Nokia and its shareholders.”
The company also announced the immediate departure of chief executive Stephen Elop. He will be replaced in the interim by Risto Siilasmaa, Nokia’s chairman of the board.
And what will Microsoft do? Find the synergies between handset manufacturing and Skype?
2 Comments
Nandasiri Wanninayaka
Did Microsoft (or users) benefit from Microsoft’s takeover of Skype? Was there any innovative technology that MS introduced to Skype?
Rohan Samarajiva
Not a bad question to ask (I think Skype’s quality has gone down in recent years, possibly because too many people using it, possibly because Microsoft has not invested enough in it), but corporate mergers and acquisitions do not occur because the parties want to benefit users. It is because it’s a good deal in the circumstances. The seller is stanching losses (e.g., Nokia) and thinks this is the right time to sell. Andreessen made a bundle on Skype’s sale, by buying at the right time (when the entire sector was in a funk) and selling also at the right time.
LIRNEasia research published in EQUALS 2025 Research Report on Gender Empowerment in the Digital Age
The EQUALS Global Partnership launched its 2025 Research Report, titled “Evidence to Impact: Advancing Gender Empowerment in the Digital Age,” at the WSIS Forum 2025. The report focuses on providing fresh global insights into gender and digital transformation, and emphasizes the urgent need for gender-inclusive digital development.
“Day of Information Disorder”: Evidence-Based Solutions for a Resilient Digital Age
On July 3, 2025, in Colombo, LIRNEasia organized the “Day of Information Disorder” to disseminate research findings from two major studies: a nationally representative survey and an experimental study measuring the effectiveness of misinformation countering measures. The event brought together researchers, journalists, media professionals, tech innovators, and policy experts to address one of today’s most urgent challenges: information disorder.
Climate Misinformation: Why Current Interventions May Be Failing
A recent experimental study conducted by LIRNEasia in Sri Lanka explored people’s ability to accurately assess the truthfulness of information — and found that this ability varies significantly depending on the topic. The study focused on three types of information: climate change, economic, and ethno-religious issues.
Links
User Login
Themes
Social
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
Contact
12, Balcombe Place, Colombo 08
Sri Lanka
+94 (0)11 267 1160
+94 (0)11 267 5212
info [at] lirneasia [dot] net
Copyright © 2025 LIRNEasia
a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific