Microsoft Paid Nokia Quarter of a Billion Dollars to Adopt WP7
That's a lot of dough.
When Nokia and Microsoft last year revealed a strategic partnership that would see the former use Windows Phone 7 as its primary smartphone OS, it was obvious what Nokia stood to gain from the deal. The Finnish company, once a king in the cell phone industry, was struggling in the smartphone space. The company needed a smartphone OS that already had an established user base and the support and apps necessary for growth. However, this wasn't a one-sided deal. Though Nokia has been less than successful in the smartphone market, the company has a lot of brand loyalty, and the partnership offered Microsoft the chance to reach millions more customers. As it turns out, Microsoft paid rather a lot for this privilege.
Though both parties have remained quiet about the financial details of their agreement for the better part of a year, information was revealed by Nokia yesterday during a quarterly earnings call. According to Nokia's Q4 results, which were released this week, Microsoft paid Nokia $250 million to use Windows Phone 7. Described by Nokia as a "platform support payment," this isn't a one time thing. According to SlashGear's Chris Davies, who was first to pick up on the figure, there will be more payments made by Microsoft. The eventual figure is thought to be more than one billion dollars.
"Our broad strategic agreement with Microsoft includes platform support payments from Microsoft to us as well as software royalty payments from us to Microsoft," Nokia said in its results. "We have a competitive software royalty structure, which includes minimum software royalty commitments."
So far we know next to nothing about what Nokia is paying Microsoft, but Nokia did say that over the life of the agreement "both the platform support payments and minimum software royalty commitments are expected to measure in the billions of US dollars.
Nokia also confirmed yesterday that it has sold more than a million Lumia handsets, as predicted by analysts earlier this week.

I have one, you can borrow it if you would like.
The media was sucked into the sales spin of a million Windows Phones sold. You'll find that these were not sold to consumers. They were sold to wholesalers. Shuffled from one warehouse to another to make it look like the Windows Phones were sold when they weren't. It's called cooking the books.
It was already reported in March of last year that Microsoft would be paying Nokia north of $1B to adopt their Windows Phone OS.
It sounds like this is just a payment on the $1B+ commitment to me...
Excellent deal for both parties. I can even see the two companies merging down the road or at least strengthening their alliance even further. Apple is ultra competitive right now. With Nokia and MS together, it'll keep the other honest.
Don't see why Smartphones are a waste of money. Maybe you don't need it right now, but down the road it will become a necessity in life just like the computer. A smartphone is essentially a pocket computer.
The correct tool for the required job.
I don't have a waffle maker in my home, but that doesn't mean that all companies who manifacture waffle makers are just wasting thier money and resoarces, there is a market for them.
AKA being poor
I have one, you can borrow it if you would like.
Oh you mean just like when Microsoft bailed out Crappy Apple (using your term of crap) from bankruptcy in exchange they use Office on their Mac's, and Apple gives MS non voting stocks.
yea tell that to every business in the world who wants there workers to have access to e-mail 24/7
FAIL
Tin.
Foil.
Hat.
Amish, per chance?
Windows 7 , is actually pretty freaking good, and windows 8 will put an end to the toy OS's that we call android and iOS hardware has noww aught up soyou can have truly productive mobile software and windows owns the productivity world. Remember 1984. Apples closed eco-system will do them in again.
No smarts in my home. sounds like wasted space.