Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NOK) May Make Big Decision, European Update & More

Editor’s Note: Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)

Nokia buys out, renames Nokia Siemens Networks (PC World)
Nokia finished its buyout of Nokia Siemens Networks on Wednesday and renamed the company Nokia Solutions and Networks, or NSN. Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) and Siemens formed the company in 2006 as a joint venture focused on wired and wireless infrastructure. But Nokia Siemens had difficulty competing against mobile network giants Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NOK)Ericsson and Huawei Technologies, and in 2011 it launched a restructuring in which it cut 17,000 jobs and narrowed its focus to mobile broadband and related services. Nokia’s own problems keeping up in the handset business made the venture’s problems worse, analysts said.

Nokia Siemens Said to Weigh 8,500 Job Cuts in Scale Focus (Bloomberg)
Nokia Siemens Networks, the phone-equipment maker that Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) is fully taking over, is considering reducing about 8,500 jobs to boost profitability, according to three people familiar with the matter.A scenario being discussed would bring its workforce to 42,000 by the end of 2014, or a 17 percent reduction, partly through selling or shutting down plants and farming out manufacturing, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal targets. Nokia Siemens had about 50,500 workers at the end of June. No final decisions have been made and any plans would have to be approved by sole owner Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK).

Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) Solutions chief sees 4G rollout in Europe picking up (The Economic Times)
The head of telecoms equipment maker Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) expects the roll-out of 4G wireless networks to pick up in Europe in the second half, as operators seek to meet growing demand for faster wireless Internet.NSN Chief Executive Rajeev Suri said on Wednesday 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, which have so far been concentrated in markets such as Japan, South Korea and the United States, were becoming more global.

Nokia only handset firm sticking neck out for Windows Phone (Investors.com)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone has secured the No. 3 position among smartphone operating systems, despite the fact that only Nokia Corporation (ADR)(NYSE:NOK) seems firmly committed to it. Nokia accounted for 81.6% of all Windows Phone shipments in the second quarter, IDC reported Wednesday. Samsung was second with 11.5%, followed by HTC with 4.6% and Huawei with 2.3%. Windows Phone was the fastest-growing operating system in Q2, up 77.6% year over year, but it’s starting from a much smaller base than the leading smartphone operating systems — Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android and Apple’s (AAPL) iOS. Android smartphone shipments rose 73.5% in Q2 and iOS phone shipments rose 20%. But Windows Phone remains a distant third in the market, with 3.7% market share. Android dominates with 79.3% market share based on unit shipments, followed by iOS with 13.2%. BlackBerry ‘s (BBRY) operating system has faded to fourth place with 2.9% market share, IDC says.

Nokia challenges iPhone’s photo capabilities as Apple continues to ignore competitors (The Verge)
After depicting iPhone users as zombies, Nokia is back again to take on Apple directly in its latest Lumia ad. The Finnish smartphone maker is now parodying Apple’s “every day” ads that started airing in April to demonstrate the popularity of the iPhone. Nokia’s ad kicks off with “every day more photos are taken with the iPhone than any other phone,” before the footage quickly reverses and a narrator announces “but at Nokia we prefer to build for quality, not just quantity.” The ad mimics Apple’s style closely, with similar music, narration, and a focus on customers taking photos in near-identical scenes. It includes side-by-side comparisons, and ends by claiming that “every day, better photos are taken with Nokia Lumias than with any other mobile.”