Steve Ballmer on Microsoft's future, and whether Stephen Elop is the next CEO  —  A Q&A with the Microsoft CEO on the eve of his $7.2b purchase of Nokia  —  In a surprising move early Tuesday, Microsoft announced that it would be acquiring Nokia's devices and services division …

The Deal That Makes No Sense  —  Early this morning Microsoft acquired Nokia for €3.79 billion (plus €1.65 billion for patents).  It is a deal that makes no sense.  While industry observers love to pontificate about mergers and acquisitions, the reality is that most ideas are value-destoying.

Microsoft Explains the Rationale Behind the Nokia Deal  —  Microsoft is spending $7.17 billion to acquire Nokia's devices and services business and license the company's mapping services, a move that CEO Steve Ballmer characterizes as “a bold step into the future.”

Microsoft buys Nokia's devices unit in a $7.2 billion bid for its mobile future  —  That's one way to become “a devices and services company”  —  One of the most enticing “what-ifs” of recent years has come true: Microsoft has purchased Nokia's Devices and Services unit, bringing the Lumia lineup under the Redmond roof.

Let's get real: Nobody will license Windows Phone or Windows RT now  —  At a high level, it may sound like Microsoft's $7.17 billion deal to buy Nokia's Devices and Services business is similar to Google's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola in 2011.  As such, Microsoft will still be licensing …

Who's buying whom?  —  When a prosperous company buys a struggling company you have to wonder what they're really buying.  —  Here's how to think about it.  A company is defined as the sum of three values: resources, processes and priorities (RPP).  Everything of value can be classified into these three categories.

Nokia Shares Pop 47% On News Of Microsoft Deal  —  The deal hasn't closed yet, but investors are already approving or penalizing Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia devices, depending on the company.  Microsoft shares opened down 5.2 percent to $31.75.  In the meantime, earlier today, Nokia shares (HEL:NOK1V) opened at €4.36.