Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nokia Shareholders Fight Back

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the shut-up-and-sit-down dept.

MohammedSameer writes "A group of nine young Nokia shareholders are fighting back. They posted an open letter for Nokia shareholders and investors asking to be elected in order to bring sanity back. They are also planning to challenge the company's strategy and partnership with Microsoft."

18 of 424 comments (clear)

  1. Just trade in the Nokia for an Android by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sell NOK

    Buy GOOG

    1. Re:Just trade in the Nokia for an Android by CptPicard · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This idea fails at the fact that Symbian is actually a far superior embedded OS than anything MS has to offer, and that, uh, they've been making phones that do other things than "just make calls" for the past decade or so.

      It's just that they failed to read the customer in the shininess department, that's all.

      --
      I want to play Free Market with a drowning Libertarian.
  2. almost tempted to buy some shares by Nursie · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just to join int, try to stop the company that made the best, most reliable phones for the longest time from being sold down the river by an MS plant.

    1. Re:almost tempted to buy some shares by timeOday · · Score: 5, Insightful
      But if they're successful in thwarting the Microsoft takeover, then what? Arrive late at the Android party? Sell dumbphones for $14.99 at Target? Everybody criticises companies like Silicon Graphics for sticking with the old strategy too long, but also for jumping on the bandwagon (such as SGI taking a stab on NT).

      Being outmoded is an extremely difficult position to be in.

    2. Re:almost tempted to buy some shares by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Informative

      They still outsell ALL Android phones and Apple phones COMBINED. Nokia is the giant in Cellphones. Outside the usa they are still the first choice as Symbian offers features that Android does not or has not until recently. Honestly even my 3 year old 5800 Nokia smartphone has features that are just showing up for Android, and may some day hit Apple.

      They are hurting, but it's because of management that is worthless and nearly incompetent, and the company not having any direction.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    3. Re:almost tempted to buy some shares by Znork · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Meego is easily capable of running a Dalvik vm, and Alien Dalvik demonstrates the capability quite throughly. As that would leverage and extend the Android ecosystem, I can't quite see how it would be behind in any way. Essentially it would be the andoid+unlocked+rootable that you're looking for.

      One can see why Microsoft wants Nokia, but for Nokia, going with WP is utter folly; they're dumping their whole current workable and fairly easily fixable lineup for something that nobody wants.

      One can wonder what their plan is if WP gets canned with Ballmer in a not so far away future.

    4. Re:almost tempted to buy some shares by Nexus7 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Indeed. I was impressed with the lack of silly metaphors, such as "burning oil platforms."

    5. Re:almost tempted to buy some shares by idontgno · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If Meego is superior then where is it? Is it a Marketing Deficiency?

      Eerie coincidence:

      Amiga: at the time of its market debut, vastly superior in technology to its market competitors. Marketed like crap. Fell behind competitors as their technologies advanced past Commodore's anemic R&D.

      Meego: at the time of its market debut, vastly superior in technology to its market competitors. Marketed like crap. Fell behind competitors as their technologies advanced past Nokia's (soon-to-be) anemic R&D.

      Also, the names are disturbingly similar. As I said, eerie coincidence. Maybe.

      Why, yes, I was an Amiga warrior in the platform flamewars of the mid-80s. Why do you ask?

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
    6. Re:almost tempted to buy some shares by metamatic · · Score: 4, Informative

      They didn't get enough from Microsoft.

      Of course not. Nobody ever does. One thing you can say about every business deal Microsoft has ever done, is that Microsoft came out best from every deal. Pretty much every company that gets into bed with Microsoft gets screwed.

      --
      GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
    7. Re:almost tempted to buy some shares by commodore6502 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      >>>The 'old' strategy was aimless development of so many different handsets it was nuts.

      Apple circa 1995, when they were on the verge of bankruptcy. Commodore circa 1993 and they did go bankrupt. Too many models can confuse customers - better to focus on just a few.

      --
      Information wants to be expensive AND wants to be free. So you have Value vs. Cheap distribution fighting each other.
    8. Re:almost tempted to buy some shares by TheRaven64 · · Score: 5, Informative

      1) He said 'outside the USA'. 2) He said 'phones' not 'smartphones'. Symbian featurephones outsell ALL smartphones, (including Symbian, Android, and iOS). The featurephone / smartphone distinction is pretty arbitrary from a user perspective - both can run third-party apps, but smartphones must expose a larger set of APIs.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  3. They might be on to something by toopok4k3 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I guess that a huge drop in the share value might mean that this plan B might get some actual backing from the majority of shareholders. The share has dropped around 20% since the Microsoft announcement.

  4. wow 9 people!? by Megor1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why is this even being posted, it's 9 people who let me guess own 0.0000000% of the company? Next up 9 apple share holders want Steve Jobs to stop wearing turtlenecks.

    --
    Everyone that disagrees with me is a paid shill
    1. Re:wow 9 people!? by magarity · · Score: 5, Informative

      Why is this even being posted, it's 9 people who let me guess own 0.0000000% of the company?

      Most big companies set the lower limit around 1,000 shares for anyone who wants to bring up any issue for a vote at the company shareholders' meeting. This can be anything from 'I nominate me to the board of directors' to 'presenters should not wear turtlenecks' to 'the company assets should be liquidated and the proceeds given to the homeless'. It then goes to a vote and since institutional investors who own a million shares at a time are there, anything frivolous or absurd gets immediately voted down.

  5. Re:Somebody had fun by MikeDirnt69 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Index: http://nokiaplans.com/

    --
    Am I eval()? - http://www.monst3r.com.br
  6. Anything else? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear /.,

    We get it, you hate us. What else is new?

    - MSFT

  7. Someone please tell me... by hellfire · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... how posting a Facebook page is "fighting back?"

    --

    "All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

  8. Their CEO is right by eyrieowl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    that they have a bad hand, and that they're playing a desperate game for the life of the company. Yes, they could do a bunch of other things...and none of them would be great for them. At this point, they do not have a winning hand. There is no winning move for them. The choice he made is a pragmatic one, to stay in the game. It doesn't mean it has to be their 50 year strategy, but it keeps them in the game for the next 3-5 years at least and that's crucial. They screwed up, and it's not the recent decision that was the big mistake. They missed the boat...arguing about why doesn't really change the basic fact that they missed the boat...and they are left in a precarious position. No, the MS way isn't going to get them to #1, or #2. But they can be #3. They can't run iOS...so they're cut off from apps on that platform. They can't be RIM...so they're cut off from that. They could do Android, and probably do it well...but he's right, that they would be subject to severe price pressure and that it would be brutally competitive, low margin. It would gut the company. Any of the other options, save MS, would consign them to the Nokia ghetto, with few apps, no significant community. Going with MS at this point is the only option which helps them to keep profit margins more than razor thin and also gets them access to a larger community, as well as a built in market, that they otherwise wouldn't have. IN THE MEANTIME...if they don't bust their butts on R&D and get out ahead of the next game changer, they will eventually fade away, but at least this buys them time to do that.

    Sometimes, the best move is just staying in the game, and they've done that. Yeah, I know, there's lots of risk, and lots of people would want anything but to be wedded to Microsoft, but...sorry guys, too little too late.