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Microsoft Exec Responds To the Google-Motorola Deal

adeelarshad82 writes "In a statement released yesterday, Microsoft's Windows Phone Division President Andy Lees said 'Investing in a broad and truly open mobile ecosystem is important for the industry and consumers alike, and Windows Phone is now the only platform that does so with equal opportunity for all partners.' What's interesting is that even though some analysts are actually expecting OEMs to switch their focus to Windows Phone 7, past sales figures (especially for Samsung) show that the decision to do so might not come easily."

5 of 293 comments (clear)

  1. Analyst can chime all they wish. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I mean, android is what 47% of smartphones, and Microsoft Windows 7 around 2%.

    Keep on wishing bitches!

  2. Everyone gets same deal as Nokia? by hawguy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So when Microsoft says this:

    Windows Phone is now the only platform that does so with equal opportunity for all partners.'

    Does that mean that everyone gets billions of dollars from MS?

    http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2011/04/21/nokia-and-microsoft-deal-official-definitive-agreement-signed/

    As a result of the deal, Nokia will pay Microsoft royalties for the Windows Phone platform, starting only when the Finnish company launches its first Windows Phone devices. Microsoft has also agreed to make payments to Nokia “measured in the billions of dollars” for services but also intellectual property royalties.

    Or are we supposed to believe that MS would have paid for Nokia's IP even if Nokia hadn't switched to Windows Phone?

    1. Re:Everyone gets same deal as Nokia? by DragonWriter · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What is your point? Nokia is their most valuable partner. That doesn't mean that Microsoft isn't supporting all of the hardware makers.

      It does, however, mean that Microsoft's claim that, with Google acquiring Motorola Mobility, Windows Phone is the only remaining mobile platform where all hardware vendors are treated equally is false, or at least if it is true it is true only in the Animal Farm sense of "all vendors are treated equally, but some are treated more equally than others".

      Since partnering with Nokia they have also added ZTE, Fujitsu, and others.

      And Android is still owned by the Open Handset Alliance, which includes more device makers than just Motorola, more software vendors than just Google, and a bunch of wireless carriers, component manufacturers, and other firms in markets where Google doesn't play and isn't buying anyone at the moment.

  3. Equal Opportunity by nschubach · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I love how it's assumed that somehow the acquisition of Moto will make Android less open to the Android alliance members... I guess that's the normal tactic. Spread FUD.

    --
    Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
  4. That's installed base by pem · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Not current sales.

    And it's only in the US.

    Worldwide it's much grimmer for MS, but in the US it's pretty bad.