14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft officially announced the takeover of Nokia’s Devices and Services unit last year in September, but the company completed the deal earlier this year and is now making the final steps to separate the division from the Finish mobile phone maker.
A few weeks ago, several websites belonging to Nokia started redirecting users to Microsoft’s Mobile website, and now it appears that more pages owned by the phone maker are getting the same “treatment.”
The US version of Nokia’s website now displays a message that invites users to “step inside our new home” because “Nokia devices and services have moved to a new website.”
Users clicking on the displayed links are redirected to the Microsoft Mobile Devices page, where they are provided with information on Windows Phone, smartphones, and features such as Cortana.
Microsoft to kill the Nokia brand
As part of Microsoft’s takeover of the Nokia Devices and Services unit, Redmond also plans to kill the Nokia brand completely on smartphones and launch devices under its own name.
Recently, several leaks that have reached the web have indicated that phones which have until now been available with Nokia branding will come with a Microsoft logo, but it’s not yet clear how soon this change could occur. People close to the matter have said that the software giant plans to launch Microsoft-branded phones before the holiday season in an attempt to boost sales of new devices.
Windows at the core of each device
Another change that Microsoft is planning in the near future concerns the operating system powering all these devices, as the company is looking to rename Windows Phone to just Windows in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the desktop platform.
At this point, not much is known about this plan, but evidence of devices powered by Windows has already been spotted, indicating that at some point, the company could launch all its operating systems, including desktop, tablet, and phone versions, under a simple name.
There’s no doubt that a smartphone running Windows could be more appealing than one powered by Windows Phone, but more confusion could come if some buyers expect their smartphones to run the full version of Microsoft’s operating system.
Redmond has most likely prepared for such a scenario, but it remains to be seen if a name change could actually have a big impact on new phone sales. The change is also believed to come into effect before the holiday season.