IDC thinks WP7 will soar to No. 2 by 2015. Really?

"Windows Phone 7 and Nokia have a lot of believers at market research firms. How else to explain the latest IDC smartphone forecast, which puts WP7 ahead of iOS in the number two spot by 2015, where it will trail behind Android? The research firm reiterated that it expects WP7 to soar in the coming years, something rival Gartner has also predicted."

Microsoft and Nokia Are Buddies in Mediocrity.

Ryan Kim writes: "The latest smartphone figures from Gartner are in and they highlight just how much Microsoft and Nokia are in desperate need for each other. But with the way both are giving up large amounts of market share, it shows that the new partnership might not be enough for either.

While Android continues to run away with the smartphone market, Windows Phone 7 mustered just 1.6 million in estimated sales to end users in the first quarter, according to research firm Gartner. Microsoft overall sold 3.6 million smartphones in the first quarter, with 2 million of them being older Windows Mobile devices...

Android is seeing 400,000 device activations daily compared to about 17,800 WP7 units sold each day."

Why a Microsoft Takeover of Nokia Could Pay Off.

Colin Gibbs writes: "It’s true that Microsoft has seen little success in mobile data in recent years, and a botched takeover would likely mean the end of the company’s hopes to become a major player in the space. But it might be the only way for Microsoft to truly compete with Apple and Google in the era of the superphone."

Nokia cuts 4,000 jobs, outsources Symbian work to Accenture.

"Nokia (NYSE:NOK) said it will slash 4,000 jobs and outsource its Symbian software activities to Accenture as part of its transition to using Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone 7 as its primary smartphone platform. The Symbian outsourcing deal also includes the transfer of about 3,000 additional employees to Accenture.

The job cuts, while expected, represent around 12 percent of Nokia's devices and services workforce. Nokia previewed the cuts last week when it reported first-quarter earnings and said it will cut $1.46 billion in operating expenses from its devices and services business for 2013, compared to 2010 levels."

New Nokia app store to leverage Windows Phone Marketplace infrastructure.

"A little over two months following the bombshell announcement that Nokia (NYSE:NOK) will embrace Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system as its primary smartphone platform, the two companies officially signed a definitive agreement finalizing the details of their partnership, stating they've already begun joint outreach efforts targeting third-party application developers. Microsoft and Nokia said they will work together to support the creation of new applications tailored for both local and global markets, rolling out a new Nokia-branded global app store that leverages the existing Windows Phone Marketplace infrastructure--the store will offer developers a single portal to publish and distribute applications available for Windows Phone, Symbian and Series 40 devices.

The new Nokia-branded app store also will incorporate the handset maker's worldwide operator billing partnerships: Nokia boasts agreements with 112 carriers in 36 markets. To further sweeten the deal, Nokia and Microsoft will make Windows Phone developer registration free to all Nokia developer partners."

No Microsoft takeover on horizon, says Nokia CEO.

"Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is seeking to calm investor nerves now that the dust has settled on the firm's alliance with Microsoft. He is insisting that the WP7 smartphone program will suffer none of the tardiness that afflicted the Symbian high end devices, and that there are no more big shocks to come - especially not a Microsoft merger."

Nokia's survival rests with Microsoft, Windows Phone 7.

Phil Goldstein writes: "On paper, the partnership seems to make perfect sense. Nokia can bring its global supply chain to bear, and in return gets a flashy new operating system to use that has received a lot of praise. Microsoft effectively eliminates Symbian and MeeGo as competition, consolidates and removes confusion in the market and gets a gifted hardware partner that is committed to the partnership like no other licensee, since Nokia is hinging its future on Windows Phone.

However, there are a lot more questions than answers at this point, and the questions reveal troubling gaps in the overall strategy."

Rumor Mill: Nokia CEO paints picture of 'burning platform' in memo.

"Elop compares Nokia to a man standing on a burning oil platform who has to jump into the frigid waters of the North Sea to save himself. In the blunt memo, which was obtained by the blog Engadget, Elop depicts Nokia as being attacked at the high end of the market by Apple, in the mid-range by smartphones running Google's Android platform and at the low end of the market by Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE, backed by MediaTek."

Major cellcos urge Nokia not to adopt Android.

"According to the Financial Times, major cellcos such as Vodafone, Telefonica and Orange have stated that they hope Nokia will rule out adopting Android, when CEO Stephen Elop outlines his new strategy this week. Instead, they are urging him to build up MeeGo as an alternative to Android and iOS.

The three cited carriers are also leading lights, along with T-Mobile and Telecom Italia, in a shadowy group of European mobile players, which have reportedly created an informal group to 'keep an eye on' Google and Apple, their business practices and their ability to shift the mobile model. These carriers have expressed the view that Android and iOS are 'Trojan horses' to make Google and Apple the direct point of contact for mobile users, relegating the cellcos to dumb pipes."

Nokia's US woes continue as it cancels AT&T launch [of the X7].

"However, the change of plan is significant for Nokia, and there is a flood of speculation as to reasons. Most sources say the decision was made by the OEM, not by AT&T, and that the carrier is still interested in the phone - though not sufficiently interested to persuade its partner to change its mind, apparently. This probably indicates a sidelining of Symbian in the AT&T strategy, as it sees the almost unstoppable rise of Android. It is also giving Windows a higher profile than before since the launch of WP7, boasting of being the premier carrier for Microsoft's OS.

The WSJ reports that Nokia was dissatisfied with the level of subsidy and marketing support AT&T would give the X7 - and indeed, an unsuccessful launch, marred by operator indifference, would be worse than no launch at all. Many sources believe that Nokia has pulled back because it thinks the X7 would be lost in the crowd at AT&T, and it wants to make a far bigger impact by keeping its big AT&T announcement for a truly radical device. This would most likely run MeeGo - a higher end, more web-oriented OS, which is seen as more US friendly - and would aim to be a game changer rather than an also-ran. The question, of course, is whether Nokia can deliver that, given the low profile of its brand in the US, and whether AT&T would give it the kind of marketing support that would be necessary to raise its visibility."

Nokia and Microsoft Looks Like a Desperate Hook Up.

Ryan Kim writes: "Ultimately, if Nokia goes this route, and there’s no guarantee it would, it would show a lot of desperation. It’s crazy to think the world leader in smartphones still doesn’t have a credible answer yet to the iPhone, more than three years after the iPhone’s launch. My advice for Nokia would be to develop something in-house so it doesn’t become a commodity smartphone player and isn’t dependent on a third-party for its software. But if it can’t get its own smartphone OS plans together, something it failed to do in the last three years, turning to Microsoft might be its best play. With market share declining in the face of iPhone and Android sales, it’s clear Nokia needs to do something."

Nokia And Microsoft Make An Unholy Alliance To Bring Office Mobile To More Phones.

"The alliance is an acknowledgment that Windows Mobile is not going to take over the world, and smartly extends the reach of Microsoft’s mobile apps to a huge new audience of mobile professionals. It also positions Microsoft and Nokia in an unholy alliance against the encroachments of the more modern iPhone and Android smart phones. It allows Microsoft to deeply integrate its mobile apps into Nokia phones in a way that might make them more appealing to corporate customers. "

Intel and Nokia announce "long-term strategic partnership" for an open mobile computing platform.

"In short: '[B]oth companies are expanding their longstanding relationship to define a new mobile platform beyond today’s smartphones, notebooks and netbooks, enabling the development of a variety of innovative hardware, software and mobile Internet services.'

No details on any of the actual devices, though."

Leaked: Nokia Bringing Maemo To Phones, Could Be Ad-Supported.

"Our source deep within Nokia’s headquarters has just leaked us a bunch of information about the company’s future operating system release, Maemo 'Harmattan'. It’s jam-packed full of unexpected twists, including their new-found love for home screen ads."

Symbian looks beyond Smartphones.

"At the moment, Symbian appears to be in a mode of experimentation and development. Moving ahead, the path that it is plotting does appear to set it squarely against the likes of Microsoft's Windows and Google's Android operating systems, both of which also have Smartphone and Mobile Internet Device (MID) centric equivalents."

Nokia dismisses WiMAX, compares it to Betamax.

"Nokia again dismissed WiMAX as a 4G technology standard, and seemed to solidify its support for Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology while comparing WiMAX's future to that of Betamax, the video format that met its demise when VHS triumphed in the 1970s and 1980s."

Skype and Nokia partner to integrate Skype into Nokia devices.

"Skype and Nokia have announced a partnership. Under the terms of the cooperation, Skype will be integrated into Nokia devices, starting with the Nokia Nseries. The Nokia N97 flagship device will be the first to incorporate the Skype experience in the 3rd quarter of 2009."

Nokia ends production of its only WiMax device.

"Nokia Siemens wouldn't be alone, if it is indeed shifting away from WiMax. Altcatel-Lucent, which Manjaro considered a leader in the market, recently said it planned to reduce spending on WiMax. Both companies may be deciding that they need to focus their efforts under stress from the faltering economic conditions, she said. "

Nokia responds to SMS "Curse of Silence" glitch.

"Nokia is asking operators to filter or block certain malicious SMS messages that can be sent to Symbian-based phones and used to block the phone from receiving further SMS or MMS messages, according to reports... The company may also try to solve the problem via firmware update."

Mformation and Nokia Partner to Ensure Seamless Management of Nokia Devices.

"Mformation... today announced that they have entered a strategic partnership with Nokia, the world leader in mobility, to ensure that all Nokia S60 3rd Edition devices can be supported and managed by the MFORMATION SERVICE MANAGER(TM) platform."