“Windows Phone continues its strong growth in Romania, where it already is the second ecosystem on the market. With the existent Lumia devices, as well as with the ones set to be launched, we expect to gain further market share in Romania,” stated Microsoft representatives, confirming the data published previously by ZF.
In March, ZF wrote sales of Windows phones in Romania rose each month, peaking in the last two months of last year, when they held over 10% of the market.
On the other hand, Microsoft’s domestic subsidiary did not provide any details on the next steps to be taken in integrating Nokia or the impact of this deal on the Romanian market. Microsoft last week completed the takeover of Nokia’s phone unit.
The final price of the deal is likely to be slightly higher than the EUR5.44 billion announced in September, according to a statement by Nokia. Around 30,000 employees of Nokia will be transferred to Microsoft. Microsoft, the world’s biggest software producer, wants to catch up with Apple and Google on the tablet and mobile phone market through the phone unit.
Nokia, instead, wants to revive network equipment operations to be able to compete with companies such as Ericsson.
After taking over Nokia’s unprofitable phone unit, Microsoft becomes the world’s second largest mobile phone producer, with a market share of around 14%, after Samsung Electronics, according to market research company IDC.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)