Microsoft took about 32,000 employees from Nokia (may have been less, not sure now). They fired 12,500 last summer. Now we just heard that Microsoft is closing the big phone factory in Beijing and another facility. Firing 9,000 ex-Nokia employees. They've already dumped two thirds of all the staff they brought from Nokia less than a year ago. Talk about a nasty parent. Why is that clown Elop allowed to continue running Microsoft's hardware division if this is his competence.









(I visited that factory in Beijing on a Nokia consulting gig some years ago. World's largest - and at the time most modern - handset manufacturing facility. Nokia had 70% market share in smartphones before Elop destroyed that market. This factory was running full steam when Nokia was the most beloved handset brand and Symbian supported Chinese apps and Ovi store was China's leading app store)



How did Nokia collapse in China? This is the picture from before Elop joined Nokia till today:



NOKIA CHINA SMARTPHONE SALES

2009 . . . . . 13.5 million units . . . 80% market share . . . Symbian

2010 . . . . . 23.0 million units . . . 67% market share . . . Symbian . . . . . . . . (Elop hired)

2011 . . . . . 19.5 million units . . . 30% market share . . . Symbian & Meego. . (Elop changes strategy)

2012 . . . . . . 4,5 million units . . . . 4% market share . . . Windows & Symbian

2013 . . . . . . 3.5 milliion units . . . .1.4% market share . . Windows . . . . .. . . (Nokia sale to Microsoft)

2014 . . . . . . 3.0 million units . . . . 0.7% market share . . Windows

Source: TomiAhonen Consulting February 2015

The above data may be freely shared



China was committed to Symbian and MeeGo. Symbian and Ovi were China's bestselling app store. MeeGo's bestselling market was China (N9). Windows didn't support Chinese language and characters when the change was announced. Chinese carriers felt betrayed by broken promises from Nokia, MeeGo was supposed to be the major platform for China Mobile. In 2010 Nokia was the top ranked smartphone brand of China with very strong loyalty. This is how you die. You go against the wishes of your channel and betray your promises to them. This is exactly why Lumia will never succeed because Microsoft is synonymous with broken promises. China today is 32% of the world smartphone market and over 3 times larger than the USA for example. If you take a 67% market share and best brand image and strongest loyatly and biggest app store, and burn that with a memo, resulting two years later in a 4% market share, that is perfection in failure. This was not because of bad phones or a bad OS or production problems or pricing or marketing. This as a corporate suicide arranged by a deranged CEO, the worst CEO in history of any industry. Now that we see that even under Microsoft ownership, the management could not return to success in the world's largest smartphone market, it is clear that Windows Phone is dead globally, and Lumia can never recover.



My heart goes out to all Chinese ex-Nokia staff who are going to lose their jobs (gosh, its their New Year's vacation - this is like firing someone for Christmas. How cruel are they at Microsoft. Sadists!!!)



To my ex-Nokia friends in China and all others, don't worry. China is mobile, mobile is China. The mobile industry is growing strongly and you will soon find jobs. Having Nokia on your CV makes you highly desirable for your next employer. Good luck!!!



I know I said more layoffs were coming but still, gosh, this is a punch into the gut. Nine thousand more fired. When will this carnage end? And who is keeping a running tally of all the jobs Elop destroyed? The most destructive memo of all time, yes Burning Platforms indeed. The worst CEO of all time, yes indeed. Elop is synonymous with corporate suicide.