Microsoft looks to be getting even more serious in its mobile ambitions following its acquisition of Skype last week with rumors now circulating that it’s begun negotiations to acquire Nokia’s phone business.
Business Insider is citing a Russian blogger with sources close to Nokia who said both companies want the deal to close before the end of the year and are in a “big hurry” to get it done quickly. Details are limited to say the least, but as the Business Insider notes, they’ve given credence to the Russian blogger after he accurately called the Nokia-Microsoft partnership back in December.
That partnership made Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 software the primary OS for Nokia smartphones, and Microsoft would obviously love to make Bing the default search engine for all Nokia devices — given the fact they still own a majority of worldwide feature-phone market share.
We’ve long speculated that changes were on the horizon for Nokia. Selling its mobile phone business might be the right choice given its trailing presence in the smartphone world, yet its been reported that Nokia’s devices and services division accounts for 68% of the company’s revenue, and all of its profits. Only time will tell if there’s any truth to the rumors.
