There's a big change coming in Finland.
The Wall Street Journal sees Nokia (NYSE: NOK) CEO Stephen Elop getting rid of the kid gloves and donning some iron gauntlets to whip his company into shape. There's a "big shake-up" coming this Friday, and the changes will cut to the core of Nokia's operations.
Many Nokia executives will lose their positions without much warning if the WSJ's sources are right. But among the few spots already up for grabs is the head of operating systems, which might signal a whole new direction in software choices.
Nokia executives have considered alternatives to its Symbian platform before. The MeeGo Linux project, which Nokia runs in conjunction with Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), is probably first in line if Symbian gets the ax. A Nokia executive compared the Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Android platform to peeing in your pants to stay warm during an icy Finnish winter, but that particular executive is no longer with the company. Given the rapid growth of Android users and its availability for any smartphone designer who wants to use it, Nokia would be crazy not to give Android a second look. There aren't too many options on the table anymore.
Palm is off the table and firmly in the hands of Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ). Nokia is not rich enough to buy Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM), and the Canadians are not big on licensing its BlackBerry software to rivals. Likewise, Nokia phones won't run the same iOS as Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhones until the White Sox win the Super Bowl (never, for the non-sports fans). Then there's Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and its Windows Phone 7. Would Elop reach back to his ex-employer to land a progressive if unproven mobile platform? It doesn't sound right.
What else is there? Android, MeeGo. Full stop.
So the question becomes, would Nokia need new divisional leadership to keep steering the operating-system ship in the same direction as before? I don't think so. And starting from scratch would be a waste of time and resources. If Nokia doesn't announce an affinity for Android on Friday, I'll be shocked.
The largest handset maker is about to join forces with the fastest-growing mobile software. I feel a disturbance in the mobile Force.
