Part of the reason why Google bought Motorola Mobility was its notable portfolio of technology patents. But things are not quite working out as well as Google may have desired.
Redmond has once again been declared victor in its long legal battle with Motorola Mobility over payments to use the patents. A jury in Seattle ruled that Motorola asked Microsoft to pay too much for use of its patents that are covered by reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) terms.
Reuters is reporting that the jury has ordered Motorola to pay $14 million in damages — a figure that includes $3 million in legal fees.
However, this amount is around half of what Microsoft originally wanted from Motorola. But despite its requested award being cut by 50 percent, Microsoft is pleased with the jury’s decision. As a Redmond spokesperson put it:
“This is a landmark win for all who want products that are affordable and work well together.”
Motorola, however, plans to file an appeal.
This, as you may recall, is the second time Microsoft has won a patent trail in the US against Motorola. A judge ruled in April this year that the company only had to pay $1.8 million to Motorola for use of its patents related to WiFi and H.264 video standards.
Back then, Motorola was asking for as much as $4 billion for use of its patents.
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If you want to run Windows 8 on your PC, here's what it takes:
Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 (more info)
RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
Graphics card:MicrosoftDirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
The below links are ISO files, but made into parts. Windows 8 Pro 32 Bit (x86):-
Microsoft is learning how to surprise the tech world like that fruity company. First there was the big announcement that the folks from Redmond would make their own line of tablets to compete with, well, their partners. Now comes the surprise unveiling of the purchase of Nokia's device business. That deal won't be consummated until early next year and Microsoft will need to hit the ground sprinting to make the big deal work. I have some suggestions how that might be done.
Own the brand
As a software licensor Microsoft has always had the luxury of leaving the crucial branding up to its partners. At the time of the acqusition Nokia accounts for over 80 percent of the market share in Windows Phone. That means that Microsoft basically owns almost the entire platform and brand with the purchase of Nokia's phone business.
Image credit: Nokia
What needs to be done is to leverage that fully right away. That means take over the brand of Windows Phone and lose the Lumia brand of Nokia. With Nokia basically being Microsoft, and Windows Phone firmly belonging to Microsoft, take over the brand completely. Make it clear that Nokia phones are now simply Windows Phones built by Microsoft.
This will be far better than the branding Nokia has been doing with its phones. Take a look at the Lumia 1020 in the image above. You only see a simple Nokia at the top and a Windows button at the bottom. Where's the clear Lumia branding or Windows Phone branding on the front of that phone? It's not there, a failure of branding.
Global coverage: Nokia Interim CEO: Microsoft deal makes us stronger | Even with Nokia devices, Microsoft wants to license Windows Phone to other makers | Does its Nokia buy thwart or fuel a possible Microsoft break-up? | Microsoft shows how to flush decades of Nokia goodwill away | Microsoft gets less than $10 per Windows Phone unit | Microsoft-Nokia deal: Reaction from the Twitter trenches | Elop drops Nokia CEO role to lead devices team under Microsoft deal | Microsoft-Nokia deal: 11 quick facts | Microsoft to buy Nokia's devices, services unit for $7.2B
Nokia is rumored to be readying a Windows RT tablet for market and if that's the case use the existing Surface brand. You want to keep things simple in consumers' minds so stick with Surface. Tack whatever you want after Surface but keep the Surface brand for the entire tablet line.
Microsoft wants to be a devices and services company, so make it clear from day one that's the case. The shiny new Windows Phone is exactly that, and a product of Microsoft.
Drop Windows Phone licensing
The most important task for Elop is to make him accountable for the success of Windows Phone.
It flies in the face with long-time corporate culture but it's time to stop licensing Windows Phone to other companies. The partners haven't done Windows Phone, and thus Microsoft, any favors with the few handsets they've released running your software. You owe them no favors in return.
As part of owning the brand, meet quietly with partners currently licensing Windows Phone and make it clear you'll keep supporting existing products but that's it. They're likely not going to drop Android and go Windows Phone given the competition from Microsoft anyway, so formalize the shut-down.
Run a massive advertising blitz
Hand-in-hand with owning the brand is raising awareness with the buying public that Windows Phone, handsets formerly from Nokia, and Microsoft are now the newest smartphone game in town. This advertising blitz should be everywhere in the US and Europe at first.
Everywhere they look, prospective buyers should see flashy ads that build a compelling use case for Windows Phone. If they turn on the TV for a while, they should see at least one Windows Phone ad. If they read a newspaper or magazine, the ads should be right there.
This campaign is going to be expensive but it is absolutely mandatory to increase awareness of the new phones from Microsoft. Compared to the purchase price of the Nokia business the expense of the advertising will be tolerable.
The objective is to drive home that Windows Phone does the things people want to do and that it's from Microsoft.
Task Elop with a concise plan for Windows Phone
Make it clear starting now that the Nokia business is gone and it's all Microsoft going forward. This will be hard for the former Nokia staff but this is business. Take the single brand seriously and leave no doubt that everything will be Microsoft and Windows Phone from now on.
Give Elop clear instructions to integrate the acquired Nokia organization as quickly as possible. It's a given that many of the adopted 32,000 Nokia employees will overlap with Microsoft's organization so quickly cut as many as possible. There's no sense continuing the massive staff costs so cut it fast. Have Elop do that smartly and by integrating as many of the best employees as possible into the Microsoft devices management structure.
Nokia has produced several Lumia handsets of varying capabilities and prices. Change the philosophy that Elop obviously had in this regard and drop down to just two handsets. You only need one high-end Windows Phone with a great camera and top-notch hardware. The other should be a more entry-level model with cheap components and a cheap price to match. The scattergun approach of having lots of devices with different features and capabilities just confuses the buyer. Avoid this at all costs.
The most important task for Elop is to make him accountable for the success of Windows Phone. That may sound harsh but let's face it, Microsoft has invested at least $10 billion dollars in Nokia at this point, and largely with Elop. Give him aggressive growth targets and make him hit them. Support him to help him get there but make it happen.
Distance the brand from feature phones
Contrary to official statements about feature phones they do not promote the Windows Phone brand. Sales numbers make it impossible to get rid of feature phones but do not sully the smartphone line by including them. Keep the branding far removed from Microsoft and Windows Phone. Perhaps it makes sense to continue the Asha brand.
Don't kid yourselves, feature phones will not lead customers to upgrade to Windows Phone smartphones. That misguided view reminds me of the "marijuana use leads to hard drug abuse". Sure some progress that way but I suspect the vast majority don't. Keep the smartphone business separate and distanced from the feature phone stuff.
Offer package deals
Attracting new customers is never easy but one tried and true method is the package deal. Make a shiny new Windows Phone hard to pass up when a Surface tablet is purchased. That means a very special price for the phone just for buying a tablet.
To avoid the carrier hurdle the phone should be unlocked if possible and advertising should explain it's all about choice. Otherwise make deals with the big four carriers (in the US) to give the customer options. This will make it clear that Microsoft has the customer's back as they can take the Windows Phone to any carrier they wish. Also show how the Windows Phone can be used to get that new Surface tablet online almost anywhere (tethering), and how easy that is to do.
Simplistic view?
These suggestions may seem simple on the surface but it will be a big task to do them properly. It will take a massive, concerted effort of a solid team to make them work but that's what will be needed to take full advantage of the big Nokia purchase.
Microsoft, take these suggestions in the vein in which they're offered. I want to see Windows Phone take off and be the major player in the smartphone space it should be. Competition is good and you're the best shot we have for that.
Elop will be under the gun as he should be. He's been a firm ally of Microsoft to be sure, but he's not achieved any significant level of success. It's time to hold his feet to the fire and make Windows Phone a household brand.
In a largely unexpected, but no less momentous move, Microsoft announced that it is acquiring Nokia’s devices and services business. As part of the handset business buyout, Stephen Elop, the former Nokia boss is now joining the software giant.
The former CEO of Nokia will lead the Devices unit at Microsoft.
But Stephen Elop has been considered, for a while now, one of the major candidates for leading the Redmond Empire, and the speculation only grew after Steve Ballmer made public his retirement plans.
And as things stand now, he is considered to be in pole position to take the reigns over from Ballmer.
Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has just now confirmed in a short statement that Stephen Elop is in the race of the vacant position. In fact, talking to The Seattle Times, Ballmer said that Elop has moved from being an external candidate to an internal one:
“Stephen will go from external candidate to internal. The board will continue to look at all appropriate candidates through that process.”
Nevertheless, Ballmer explained that all candidates have equal chances — the company is looking at every single name that it has on the short list.
Still, Stephen Elop, being a former Microsoft executive who left the company to lead Nokia, seems to possess what it takes to take over from Ballmer and ensure that the transformation plan that the outgoing CEO recently initiated back in July is executed to perfection.
Somewhat surprisingly, Microsoft has actually purchased Nokia’s Devices and Services unit.
This move brings the Lumia bran and line of phones finally under Microsoft’s full control. It also gives Microsoft total control of the largest Windows Phone 8 hardware supporter and finally, bragging rights to a completely integrated phone solution.
In the first quarter of 2014, Microsoft will pay 3.79 billion Euros for Nokia’s business, plus another 1.65 billion Euros for its portfolio of patents. 32,000 people are expected to transfer from Nokia to Microsoft, including 18,300 that are “directly involved in manufacturing.”
Just for laughs, (IMHO) EVP of Operating Systems Terry Myerson is stressing that Nokia wouldn’t automatically get priority when it comes to the Windows Phone OS. Just the same way Google has with done with Motorola, Myerson promised every partner would be treated the same.
YEAH RIGHT!!!!
As part of the agreement, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is stepping aside; he’s now leading Microsoft’s Devices team.
While it may be debatable why Microsoft delayed releasing Windows 8.1 RTM (at least on its MSDN and TechNet channels), there is no arguing the fact that the upcoming operating system is widely available on torrent and file sharing websites.
The RTM version of Windows 8.1 leaked out last week, as reported earlier.
And an increasing amount of users are installing the upgrade on the PCs and devices — all it requires for activation is the Windows 8 key, after all. In fact, the OS has is now available in several languages, allowing users are chance to try it out in their native language.
As of this writing, Windows 8.1 RTM x64 is available in a total of 36 languages. The list of languages that the leaked ISOs support includes English, Japanese, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, German, Greek, Spanish, Estonian, Finnish, French, Hebrew, Croatian, Hungarian and Italian.
Lithuanian, Latvian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Multi-Language, Chinese (Hong Kong SAR), Chinese (Simplified), Portuguese (Portugal) and Kyrgyz are also available for download.
Meaning those of you that were waiting to try out Windows 8.1, but were waiting for the operating system to be available in any of the above languages can now scout out a version.
As usual, keep in mind that Microsoft does not recommend users to install these copies of Windows 8.1 RTM, even if they are untouched and confirmed to be unmodified. The company is actually not offering any support for these versions.
Windows 8.1 will officially debut on October 18, while Windows 8 users will be allowed to download the first refresh of the platform from the Windows Store a day earlier.
It was around this time a full week ago that the technology world was rattled by the Steve Ballmer retirement announcement. The outgoing Microsoft CEO announced last Friday that he would be leaving the company within the next 12 months.
And even though he has recently initiated a massive reorganization plan for Redmond, Ballmer is said to part ways with Microsoft as soon as a successor is found.
While no details have been provided on the reasons why he has decided to leave, some analysts readily believe that it was the board that had the final say in this and decided to get rid of the CEO — in other words, Ballmer was definitely fired.
Patrick Moorehead of Moor Insights & Strategy, a leading analyst, said in an interview with TweakTown that Ballmer was most likely pushed out the board, as some members have not been pleased with the vision and strategy that he was pursuing:
“He was definitely pushed out by the board. They either drove him out or put him in a situation where he felt he had to leave to save face.”
Obviously it may be a while before we hear everything that went on behind the curtains, but chances are that something like this could have transpired.
Ballmer, so far has refused to provide any specifics on his retirement, but has pointed out that he discussed this with Bill Gates before making this decision — the famed co-founder of Microsoft is one of Ballmer’s closest friends, after all.
Chances are that Steve even lost Gates’ support on this, and everyone decided that a change of face and a change of outlook is now the need of the hour for the Redmond Empire.
Nevertheless, whoever comes next will, in all likelihood, continue Ballmer’s vision. The company’s board has hinted that the transformation to a devices and services firm shall continue to ensure that Microsoft stays competitive in all its markets.
