Stephen Elop Will be Put in Charge of Xbox Gaming Division, Surface & Windows Phone

[msft]

You seem to be an ardent supporter of Elop. As for me, I don't know the guy at all - even at third hand! All I know is the very little (and probably biased) accounts that I read in the popular press. But, I would like to know why you think Elop may make a positive difference to MS - particularly where the Surface line is concerned.

because before the acquisition from Microsoft, Nokia was already trying to make devices that suited Microsoft's vision on markets- os-wise, design-wise and most importantly - target-wise. the strategy core of early brand/os adootion - asha/unlicensed windows/office in undeveloped countries, the high end and enterprise business - nokia 1020, surface pro, and middle end/student space - rt/office student/lumia 520 etc. apple has no low end and student end. the student end is more or less the tech geeks and the high end is targeting the rich people, the movie/design/other profession individuals, as compared to Microsoft's high end where they target the management/executives. Samsung - they are still experimenting and haven't settled in a segment comfortably, because it's impossible for them to do so - they have no complementary products. So their main strategy is to just try and produce quality devices and if some turn out to be a hit - then well done. Other Android manufacturers are just flooding with cheap average smartphones with no hope of distinguishing and establishing brand loyalty so their "strategy" is just supply-chain management. blackberry - sucks. so basically what I'm saying is that Elop turned Nokia's head where Microsoft's looking and will know better than anyone how to continue that - an outsider will need a lot more time to do it. and people overestimate what a VP of a division can do really - everything has to go through the board, so he won't have that much freedom to screw things out. he has experience and knows nokia's hardware manufacturing facilities, also contractors and talent - there is a lot of work done before the final product is announced, so Microsoft are using his experience. then again complementary products are a major reason why mergers are done and I'm expecting xbox, surface and nokia to be more complementary in a way that I would like to have them all so they will work and interexchange information between them and do stuff other similar products from different manufacturers wont do.

 

[kristalsoldier]

because before the acquisition from Microsoft, Nokia was already trying to make devices that suited Microsoft's vision on markets- os-wise, design-wise and most importantly - target-wise. the strategy core of early brand/os adootion - asha/unlicensed windows/office in undeveloped countries, the high end and enterprise business - nokia 1020, surface pro, and middle end/student space - rt/office student/lumia 520 etc. apple has no low end and student end. the student end is more or less the tech geeks and the high end is targeting the rich people, the movie/design/other profession individuals, as compared to Microsoft's high end where they target the management/executives. Samsung - they are still experimenting and haven't settled in a segment comfortably, because it's impossible for them to do so - they have no complementary products. So their main strategy is to just try and produce quality devices and if some turn out to be a hit - then well done. Other Android manufacturers are just flooding with cheap average smartphones with no hope of distinguishing and establishing brand loyalty so their "strategy" is just supply-chain management. blackberry - sucks. so basically what I'm saying is that Elop turned Nokia's head where Microsoft's looking and will know better than anyone how to continue that - an outsider will need a lot more time to do it. complementary products are a major reason why mergers are done and I'm expecting xbox, surface and nokia to be more complementary in a way that I would like to have them all so they will work and interexchange information between them and do stuff other similar products from different manufacturers wont do.

I see. Personally, I think the Nokia acquisition - aside from the tech, competency, and market reach/ access (such as it exists for Nokia) - by MS is to possess a ready-made mobile hardware outfit - which is kind of obvious. It saves MS a lot of development (and design) time and costs. When I say mobile, I mean specifically phones (across price categories). I am not sure Nokia will be as effective in the tablet space. Why? Notice that Nokia's tablet - in terms of design - is similar to their Lumia line. In other words, there is a family resemblance. The Surface line has a very distinctive look and feel - not only compared to the Nokia tablet offering, but also to most other tablet manufacturers. If Nokia brings their design philosophy to the Surface line, there is a possibility that this distinctiveness would be diluted, which would not be a positive thing for a budding MS tablet strategy. Of course, Nokia could churn out a MS tablet line which would attack other price levels, but I am not sure that would be possible. It could also be the case that Nokia would handle the smaller Surface line, but that again would run similar risks as outlined above. On the other hand, Nokia already has a distinctive design philosophy for their phones. And, given that MS does not have a mobile line-up as of now, it would be much easier to develop a dedicated look and feel to MS-branded phones. In such a scenario, there would be no Surface line of phones, but a Lumia line of MS phones (which, to all intents and purposes, already exists). The Nokia acquisition gives MS more control over this.

As for Xbox, I am not sure how that would work given that I have only seen them in pictures and not in real life. It could very well be the case that Nokia could end up designing the Xbox line and could create a distinctive design philosophy for it, which may be a good thing.

How does Elop fit into such things, I am not sure.

 

[CreativeLemming]

How does Elop fit into such things, I am not sure.

Maybe because he was Ballmer's trojan horse at Nokia with the sole intention of reducing the company to a state where a Microsoft takeover was inevitable. And received a healthy 15 million bonus, plus the current role as a result?

I don't necessarily buy into the conspiracy theories, but look at the history and decide for yourself (msft, you do realise that Elop was ex-MS prior to Nokia?)

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/nokia-boss-elops-15m-bonus-blasted-by-finns-50012310/
http://blogs.ft.com/businessblog/2013/09/stephen-elops-tactless-bonus-for-leaving-finland/

 

[dgstorm]

Nokia were absolutely clueless before Elop came in. The last Symbian OS they released was disgraceful. They were going to become a second-class Android phone manufacturer as the design of the phones was also sooo much out of date. Just look at the phones before he came in, you will be surprised how bad they were compared to the competition. Elop turned it around and now Nokia has beautiful and functional phones that some will argue are on par with the iPhones and the Galaxys. It it was a fair start between Nokia Apple and Samsung, Elop would have been much more praised, but the huge momentum of the iPhone and the already developed ecosystem of the app stores were something you can do nothing against because it was too late.
Overall I expect an even better design for the hardware and I must say that I think the new team at Microsoft will do wonders. The cloud industry is projected to rise hugely in the near future and Nadella will make sure MS gets the absolute maximum of it, Bill Gates coming back to help again and Elop to build a better looking Xboxes and Surfaces? Just wait until the early investors get in. MS stock is the next Apple, you will be quoting my post.

I appreciate your unbridled optimism! You might be on to a great perspective there.