Relax, Nokia Isn't Selling to Microsoft

Nokia NOK CEO Stephen Elop Appeared on CNBC Wednesday to rebut rumors that his company was close to selling itself to Microsoft MSFT. “Rumors of a Microsoft deal are baseless,” Elop said. Rather, Elop explained, the company was quickly restructuring and preparing to unveil a new product line in the fourth quarter of 2011. The new product will represent a high-risk, high-reward strategic move for Nokia, as the mobile phone company dumps its Symbian operating system and transitions to a Windows based OS. The company doesn't necessarily see it as a “Hail Mary”, but clearly Nokia is banking on a successful switchover to Windows. “Our Plan B is to make sure that Plan A is very successful,” Elop said. When pressed by CNBC to explain why he'd risk it all and dump Nokia's platform for Windows, when Windows hasn't been successful in the decade it has been trying to break into the mobile phone market, Elop said this time was different. “Microsoft hasn't had a partner (in its attempts). That's what we bring to the table,” he said. Swapping out platforms on the fly isn't the only change taking place at Nokia headquarters. The senior management team was shaken up as well. Of the fourteen people forming Elop's inner circle, seven are either new hires or in new positions, according to Elop. The other seven are veterans. Despite the decline in share price and bad news on earnings, Bank of America has cut its price objective from $17 to $12 and maintains its Buy rating.