Hardware and software besties Nokia (NOK -0.81%) and Microsoft (MSFT 0.37%) are effectively joined at the hip these days, as Microsoft's deal to acquire Nokia's handset business is due to close in the first quarter of next year. However, both have an eye toward boosting their collective share of the global smartphone and tablet space even before the deal closes.
This month alone, Microsoft and Nokia have each made an effort to update and improve their respective sides of the software-hardware partnership. For Microsoft, this involved rolling out Windows 8.1, the long-awaited update to its mobile-compatible Windows 8 operating system. For Nokia, this meant unveiling a new set of smartphones and a tablet that it hopes should help round out its product portfolio. Together, this gives Microsoft and Nokia an updated product portfolio as they head into the highly important fourth quarter.
This is exactly the right strategy for Microsoft and Nokia, but will it be enough to help drive the market share gains these two tech giants are hoping for? In the video below, tech and telecom analyst Andrew Tonner explains how Microsoft and Nokia's updated products are reminiscent of another mobile powerhouse's winning strategy and why investors should find this highly encouraging.
