Microsoft-Nokia deal: Reaction from the Twitter trenches
For more than a year, industry experts and reporters alike were convinced that, not long after the snuggling up of Microsoft and Nokia in 2011 on the Windows Phone platform, the Finnish phone maker would eventually somehow be absorbed by the software giant.
That day finally came on Monday, when the two companies announced that Microsoft would buy Nokia's phone making unit: the jewels in the company's crown — albeit worn and torn after years of competition from fruit-themed rival smartphone makers.
- Also read: Microsoft to buy Nokia's devices, services unit for $7.2B | Microsoft-Nokia deal: 11 quick facts | Elop drops Nokia CEO role to lead devices team under Microsoft deal CNET: Ballmer's e-mail to Microsoft employees about Nokia deal | Microsoft makes its Apple move, bringing Nokia and Elop into the fold
We immediately headed to Twitter as the source of quick-hit initial reaction from high profile industry folk, entrepreneurs, Microsoft watchers, and even competitors, to see what the overall impression was.
(And we should point out: yes, you're about to see a hearty dose of sarcasm and snark here. To be fair, it's still a good cross-section of what people are saying.)
Bloomberg Businessweek's Brad Stone made an interesting comparison — this deal has been done before.
Msft acquires Nokia two years after Google announces buy of Motorola, 6+ years after intro of the iPhone. Not the fastest reflexes...
— Brad Stone (@BradStone) September 3, 2013
CNET contributor Danny Sullivan had a similar line of thinking. He later hypothesized that any new phone could be called a "Microsoft Nokia Lumia Xbox Live phones" — with added "Zune technology."
Microsoft to (effectively) buy Nokia. Finally. Now Nokia becomes Microsoft's Motorola. https://t.co/dEYPqELXoZ
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) September 3, 2013
Author and journalist Josh Brown sounded upbeat, but upon second glances he was very much in with the rest of the crowd.
With the Nokia purchase, Microsoft is getting a huge head start on this whole cellphone Internet thing.
— Downtown Josh Brown (@ReformedBroker) September 3, 2013
TechCrunch writer Matthew Panzarino wants to know what's next. If anything, that is, and questioned the motives to the deal. Perhaps it was to acquire a new chief executive? Or not.
What was the barrier stopping Nokia Windows Phone devices from being better? None? Then acquisition is about patents/brand/protection.
— Matthew Panzarino (@panzer) September 3, 2013
Enterprise storage firm Box's chief executive Aaron Levie broke down some of the numbers. Savvy or late? The multi-billion dollar question, if you look at Nokia's steep stock decline.
Nokia's stock is down 85% in the past 5 years. Microsoft is either insanely savvy or insanely late.
— Aaron Levie (@levie) September 3, 2013
GigaOm founder Om Malik instead broke out the harsh reality of the truth.
Lets just face it -- iPhone and Android ecosystem did disrupt two major companies -- Microsoft and Nokia -- both ignored winds of change
— Om Malik (@om) September 3, 2013
Others seemed more upbeat, though. ArsTechnica writer Jon Brodkin skipped over the hyperbole and also said it how it is.
Microsoft *really* wasn't kidding about becoming a devices and services company.
— The real Jon Brodkin (@jbrodkin) September 3, 2013
Time's Harry McCracken filled in the gaps, though. It turns out these kinds of deals don't go down overnight, and was clearly part of a wider devices and services push.
OK, Microsoft, calling yourself a "devices and services" company is no longer confusing.
— Harry McCracken (@harrymccracken) September 3, 2013
Meanwhile The Verge's Josh Topolsky, like others, were a little beefed with the timing.
I like how Microsoft waited until Under the Dome was over to announce this. Really thoughtful.
— Joshua Topolsky (@joshuatopolsky) September 3, 2013
As was former ABC News' Joanna Stern, who summed up the lateness (or earliness — depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on) of the announcement in six sweet words.
Also need to go to bed.
— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) September 3, 2013
That's not a bad idea, Joanna. Night, night.