Thoughts on Nokia Potentially Licensing Windows Phone 7: The Enterprise Mobility Perspective

As you have probably heard, there is a rumor going around the interweb that Nokia is in talks with Microsoft to license the Windows Phone 7 operating system.  As can be expected, people are now weighing in on the pros and cons of such a move.  As you might recall, I suggested this move the day that Nokia announced that Elop would be running things in Espoo moving forward.  I maintain what I said then.  Nokia should absolutely license Windows Phone 7.

Nokia, as we all know, makes some pretty remarkable hardware, but has found new and innovative ways of dropping the ball when it comes to the software.  You know there have to be teams in Espoo that are scratching their heads, trying to figure out what the software strategy should be for the fabled company.  Let me offer three suggestions:

• Relegate Symbian to compete with Bada – meaning for “high end feature phones” (whatever that means)
• License Windows Phone 7 as the carriers have already agreed to support it
• If you MUST insist on having your own proprietary OS, then double down on MeeGo

Windows Phone 7 will allow you to invest so much less time on the software side.  I know I sound like a walking advertisement for our friends in Redmond, but this just makes good business sense in my opinion.  By licensing WP7, Nokia would for all intents and purposes be outsourcing a big portion of the software development time line.  They could thus focus on what they do well…and that’s some pretty great hardware.

Now, the enterprise part.  Microsoft, while not always having the clearest strategies, has certainly understood the enterprise.  If that’s not the core of their DNA, then I don’t know what is.  By licensing WP7, Nokia instantly gets enterprise class devices…and also a place at the US carrier table…something it has been sorely lacking for some time now.

Mobility management – that is no longer Nokia’s problem. This too gets punted to Microsoft because they are the ones who will be making the OS updates.  The marketing argument/justification for the enterprise readiness (or lack thereof) will be something where Nokia can just point the finger at Redmond.  I don’t know about you, but I just can’t imagine Microsoft dropping THAT ball when it comes to its new mobile OS.  Additionally, mobility management companies aren’t ready yet to support MeeGo, but they are either announcing or planning on announcing (I would assume) support for the platform.  For now, it’s ActiveSync, but it’s there at least.

So go on Mr. Elop, go call up Ballmer (I assume you still have his mobile phone number) and cut a deal with him so your engineers can get cracking on some amazing looking devices.