Nokia Buys Out Psion, Takes Control Of Symbian
This had been rumored (and denied!) back in November, but now it’s come true that Nokia is buying out Psion’s share of Symbian, giving the handset maker control of 63% of the operating system. Nokia already owned 32% and Psion had 31%. There’s some debate as to whether or not this is a good move. It certainly could alienate Nokia competitors (even the minority Symbian shareholders – who might also look to sell their shares) who don’t want to be giving money directly to a competitor. Nokia was already going to use Symbian, so it doesn’t give them a direct advantage that way – and Microsoft will likely view this as a wonderful move, as they’re probably already calling up rival handset makers to remind them of their other choices.
