revealed by the legal counsel of Nokia India. The telecom titan is currently jammed in a tax dispute with the government in India. And while some thought that this might have an effect on the global deal with Microsoft, it is now said that the deal will go through regardless. The disputed manufacturing unit in the country will either go to Microsoft or be shut down, depending on how the Indian government settles the issue out. There are still some bureaucratic hiccups in China to take care of, but these are expected to be handled within the next couple of weeks. The deal has faced some resistance, both in China and Korea, but Redmond is now actively countering these threats — as they should be countered. If all goes according to plan, the 30,000 employees that are part of Nokia will soon join Microsoft by the time this month is out. The next quarter or two will hold special interest, then, when that happens.]]>
Win-win for both companies. Microsoft inherits a popular brand, and Nokia gets a boost from Microsoft as the two grow together. I’ll be watching to see how soon within the next 20 days this gets closed.
Are any employees going to be laid off, Lisa? I know it says if all goes according to plan, but what’s the likelihood of that? Is it realistic to think that Microsoft will keep all 30,000 employees.
Less than 3 weeks until this goes through! I’m glad the India complications didn’t affect the deal.