A story we’ve reported on at length, involves the 2014 Microsoft acquisition of Nokia’s smartphone business for a cool $7.2 billion. However, earlier this year, it was announced that Microsoft sold that very feature phone division to FIH Mobile Ltd., a subsidiary of Hon Hai/Foxconn Technology Group, and HMD Global, Oy for $350 million. The sale of the phone division re-opened the door for Nokia, which now has a strategic brand and intellectual property licensing agreement with the newly founded company HMD Global to create a new generation of Nokia-branded feature phones, smartphones and tablets.
In light of the purchase and resell Nokia saga, today, Microsoft has officially confirmed that it will close it’s Finnish mobile phone unit and cut 1,350 jobs in the country (via Reuters). The news of the impending job shedding comes after the Finnish government most recently voiced dissatisfaction with the proposed cuts and a broken promise from Microsoft to invest in Finland, which the company pitched during the courting of the phone division two years ago.
This situation is no doubt very controversial, so we would love to hear your thoughts on the closure and layoffs becoming offical. Be sure to drop us a comment below!
