From DailyTech: With the final regulatory approvals secured, and with details of factory transfers and other sticking points finally ironed out, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) announced late Thursday that it had completed the acquisition of Nokia Oyj.'s (HEX:NOK1V) devices unit.
Nokia Oyj. -- based out of Finland -- served Microsoft loyally as the primary champion of Windows Phone.
The relationship was fraught with controversy from Microsoft's payments to Nokia to the role of former Microsoft business division head Stephen Andrew Elop, who had been appointed CEO of Nokia. Some felt Nokia would have been better served becoming yet another in the growing pack of Android phonemakers. Others argued that despite the low sales Nokia successfully downsized, returning to profitability and producing truly differentiated offerings with the Lumia handset line.
Ultimately, Microsoft decided that the best option in order to make sure Nokia Devices stayed onboard with Windows Phone and to quell cries that Stephen Elop was a "Trojan horse" was to simply buy the unit from Nokia Oyj. On Sept. 3, 2013 Microsoft announced that it was acquiring Nokia Devices for €3.79B ($5.24B USD) and licensing Nokia's patents and software services (e.g. HERE maps) for €1.65B ($2.28B USD), in a deal initially worth $7.2B USD. Adjusting for current exchange rates, the deal at its close was worth just slightly more -- around $7.5B USD.
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