Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 4
By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend:
Microsoft Corporation is reviewing the issue of developing its mobile division in Azerbaijan, known as the Devices & Services, the Azerbaijani company Mobitel told Trend Nov. 3.
Mobitel represents the interests of Finnish multinational communications and information technology corporation Nokia in Azerbaijan. In April, Microsoft Corporation acquired Nokia's mobile division for $7.18 billion.
The US-based multinational corporation has recently announced about a full-scale action to phase out the Nokia brand. Reportedly, in the near future, the Nokia Lumia smartphones will be renamed to Microsoft Lumia.
Speaking with Trend, Mobitel didn't rule out a change in the concept of specialized Nokia Evo Store in Baku.
"Meetings have been repeatedly held on this issue with the Moscow office staff, and their visit can be called a familiarization visit, as there hasn't been any official confirmation," Mobitel said.
The company added that presumably, Microsoft's strategy on specialized Evo Store will be made public by late 2014 or in early 2015.
Mobitel said there hasn't been official information on the steps to be taken in this direction in Azerbaijan, and the company is taking a wait-and-see attitude.
"We can't firmly say what will happen next, unless we get a global confirmation from Microsoft. But we can definitely say the Nokia Lumia smartphones will be re-branded to Microsoft Lumia," the company noted.
In mid-October, it was reported that in the next few weeks, Nokia's accounts on social networks (Facebook and Twitter) will be renamed to Microsoft Lumia.
Mobitel, which represents Nokia's interests in Azerbaijan, also announced about renaming of the Nokia Azerbaijan/Mobitel on Facebook to Microsoft Lumia/Mobitel.
Microsoft Corporation's local office in Azerbaijan, the Microsoft Azerbaijan, is exclusively engaged in software, and there is still no mobile division of Microsoft in Azerbaijan.
Microsoft Azerbaijan said that Microsoft Corporation's further strategy on mobile division depends solely on its main office.
Edited by SI