無線手機(jī)和平板電腦市場(chǎng)正在發(fā)生翻天覆地的變化。軟硬件廠商之間的界限漸趨模糊，我們無法將現(xiàn)行臺(tái)面上的主流企業(yè)強(qiáng)加區(qū)分為所謂的‘軟件’或‘硬件’公司，因?yàn)檫@些企業(yè)所涉及的業(yè)務(wù)范圍，已經(jīng)在愈來愈多領(lǐng)域重疊了。 最近Google決定砸下125億美元買下Motorola Mobility的舉措，是高科技產(chǎn)業(yè)的一個(gè)自然演進(jìn)過程──這個(gè)產(chǎn)業(yè)正在演繹出一種更加引人矚目的嶄新業(yè)務(wù)型態(tài)。 但業(yè)界的下一個(gè)重大事件或許很快就會(huì)來臨。透過收購(gòu)摩托羅拉移動(dòng)，Google已經(jīng)從字面上證明，過去曾經(jīng)雄踞一方的元老級(jí)企業(yè)，已經(jīng)沒有存在的必要了。確實(shí)，對(duì)這個(gè)產(chǎn)業(yè)來說，絕對(duì)有正當(dāng)理由去打破從20世紀(jì)以來，OEM們?cè)缫蚜?xí)慣并延伸至今的垂直制造產(chǎn)業(yè)結(jié)構(gòu)。然而，不能僅因?yàn)槲覀儾徽J(rèn)為一家OEM需要擁有半導(dǎo)體部門，就認(rèn)為軟件供貨商和硬件制造商之間必須劃分出明顯的分界線。 這就是為何我相信微軟(Microsoft)會(huì)是下一個(gè)做出收購(gòu)硬件廠商決策的企業(yè)。這家公司握有足夠的資金來支持任何交易──當(dāng)然，蘋果(Apple)或Google除外。若微軟真的希望將觸角延伸到個(gè)人計(jì)算機(jī)操作系統(tǒng)以外的領(lǐng)域，并再次進(jìn)擊消費(fèi)電子產(chǎn)業(yè)，那么微軟就應(yīng)該認(rèn)真考慮其操作系統(tǒng)合作伙伴諾基亞(Nokia)。 這兩家公司彼此需要，他們能在無線手機(jī)和平板電腦市場(chǎng)結(jié)合成一個(gè)具有更強(qiáng)大競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力的事業(yè)體。微軟已經(jīng)表示，將透過Windows操作系統(tǒng)的共同開發(fā)計(jì)劃，與諾基亞‘更加密切’地合作，而且將對(duì)其合作伙伴施予數(shù)十億美元的支持。從另一個(gè)角度來看，微軟的行動(dòng)產(chǎn)品用Windows操作系統(tǒng)至今仍落后于蘋果和Google。因此，若微軟真的收購(gòu)諾基亞，雙方的關(guān)系將更加緊密，而且可各自從對(duì)方的軟硬件專有知識(shí)中受益。 對(duì)諾基亞來說，這項(xiàng)交易無疑是相當(dāng)明智的。諾基亞CEO Stephen Elop決定放棄Symbian操作系統(tǒng)的決定固然對(duì)這家公司造成了傷害，但這個(gè)決策已經(jīng)無法逆轉(zhuǎn)了。這家芬蘭公司現(xiàn)在應(yīng)該尋求與微軟更密切的接觸，而非試圖解開彼此的糾結(jié)關(guān)系。而沒有什么比收購(gòu)更能拉近彼此間的距離了，這將使諾基亞成為微軟的一個(gè)業(yè)務(wù)部門。 投資者會(huì)支持這項(xiàng)舉動(dòng)嗎？一開始，他們可能不會(huì)喜歡這項(xiàng)決定，但很明顯，微軟的業(yè)務(wù)成長(zhǎng)不再那么快速，而諾基亞看來也筋疲力盡。但兩者若能結(jié)合，他們?cè)诳焖俪砷L(zhǎng)的無線行動(dòng)市場(chǎng)仍將成為一個(gè)強(qiáng)大的組合，將能更好的抵御來自蘋果、Google-Motorola Mobility和三星的威脅。 當(dāng)然，一些Windows操作系統(tǒng)的授權(quán)廠商可能會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)這項(xiàng)交易并不那么實(shí)惠，但這些廠商中，有很多早已被微軟稍早前宣稱將協(xié)助諾基亞轉(zhuǎn)移到其平臺(tái)的消息給激怒。而且，無論如何，至今仍沒有足夠的重量級(jí)公司可支持Windows操作系統(tǒng)。少數(shù)微軟陣營(yíng)中的業(yè)者，事實(shí)上也同時(shí)提供采用其它競(jìng)爭(zhēng)平臺(tái)的產(chǎn)品，如Google Android，或是由內(nèi)部自行開發(fā)的平臺(tái)。 順道一提，微軟收購(gòu)諾基亞的想法并非遙不可及。無論是之前Google收購(gòu)Motorola Mobility或是現(xiàn)在談?wù)摰奈④浭召?gòu)諾基亞，在業(yè)界都不是什么秘密。這個(gè)產(chǎn)業(yè)不斷上演著并購(gòu)戲碼，早期惠普(HP)收購(gòu)Palm以取得其操作系統(tǒng)并將之應(yīng)用在自己的產(chǎn)品中。RIM是還沒到拍賣的地步，不過，若其它口袋夠深的公司希望入主這家加拿大的企業(yè)行動(dòng)供貨商，我也不會(huì)感到驚訝。目前諾基亞和RIM的市值分別為240億和140億美元。 編譯： Joy Teng 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 參考英文原文：Viewpoint: Why Microsoft should buy Nokia，by Bolaji Ojo

相關(guān)閱讀：
• 拓墣:Google極有可能轉(zhuǎn)售摩托羅拉移動(dòng)的硬件事業(yè)
• 谷歌收購(gòu)摩托羅拉，誰將是下一個(gè)被收購(gòu)者？
• 眾說紛紜的谷歌-摩托羅拉并購(gòu)案d3nesmc

{pagination} Viewpoint: Why Microsoft should buy Nokia Bolaji Ojo Monumental changes are taking place in the wireless handset and tablet PC market. Companies are crossing operating lines as it becomes more obvious that the dividing lines between software and hardware businesses were artificially created and are no longer justifiable or viable. The recent decision of Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) to purchase Motorola Mobility Inc. (NYSE: MMI) for $12.5 billion is the latest step in the evolution of the high-tech industry towards the creation of more compelling business narratives. (See: Google Draws New Battle Line With Bid to Buy Motorola.) The next shoes will soon be dropping. By offering to acquire Motorola Mobility, Google literally demonstrated that the old walls companies have built around industry segments do not need to exist. Admittedly, there was justification for the industry to rip up the old vertical manufacturing system OEM used up until the last decade of the 20th Century. However, simply because we do not believe an OEM needs to have a semiconductor division does not mean we can also justify the dividing lines between software vendors and hardware manufacturers. This is why I believe Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) is next in line to make a major acquisition in the hardware space. The company has enough cash to fund any deal it wants (aside from buying Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) or Google, of course), and if it wants to expand beyond the PC operating system market and make a big splash again in the consumer electronics sector, it should consider making a play for OS partner Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK). (See: Nok-Win a No-Win Combination.) The two companies need each other, and together they can become a tougher competitor in the wireless handset and tablet PC market. Microsoft already signaled its intention to move closer to Nokia by agreeing to a joint-development plan for Windows OS that would net its partner billions in support dollars. Also, Microsoft's Windows OS for mobile platforms hasn't done very well in the market so far and has badly trailed offerings from Apple and Google. If Microsoft swallows up Nokia, the relationship becomes more entwined, and both could benefit from the interplay of hardware and software. Such a transaction would be a no-brainer for Nokia. CEO Stephen Elop's decision to abandon Nokia's Symbian operating system admittedly hurt the company, but that decision is now irreversible. Rather than try to untangle the relationship with Microsoft, the Finnish company should instead seek an even tighter engagement. Nothing can be closer than an acquisition that makes Nokia a business division within Microsoft. Will investors support the arrangement? They may not like it at first, but it's clear already Microsoft is no longer in a fast-growing business, while Nokia appears to have run out of steam. Together, they would be a formidable presence in the fast-growing wireless mobility market and would be better able to compete against Apple, Google-Motorola Mobility, and Samsung. Sure, some Windows OS licensees may find the deal unpalatable, but many of these were already irritated at Microsoft's earlier announcement that it would help Nokia migrate to its platform. And, there aren't enough heavyweight companies supporting Windows OS, anyway. The few that are already in Microsoft's camp also have offerings that feature competing operating systems such as Google Android or internally-developed platforms. By the way, the idea of Microsoft buying Nokia isn't really that far-fetched. It isn't a great mystery, either, that Google would offer to buy Motorola Mobility. Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) acquired Palm Inc., absorbing its operating system and using this in its products. Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; Toronto: RIM) is not on the block today, either. But I wouldn't be surprised if some other company with a deep-enough pocket makes a play for the Canadian enterprise mobility company. At their current market capitalization of $24 billion and $14 billion, respectively, Nokia and RIM are certainly affordable, having been trading at a discount for some time.