Microsoft Corp. is buying Nokia Corp.'s devices and services business, and getting access to the company's patents, for a total of 5.44 billion euros ($7.2 billion) in an effort to expand its share of the smartphone market, the companies announced late Monday.

Microsoft will pay 3.79 billion euros ($5 billion) for the Nokia unit that makes mobile phones, including its line of Lumia smartphones that run Windows Phone software.

Microsoft is also paying 1.65 billion euros ($2.2 billion) for a 10-year license to use Nokia's patents, with the option to extend it indefinitely.

"We are very excited about the proposal to bring the best mobile device efforts of Microsoft and Nokia together," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a memo to employees. "We are receiving incredible talent, technology and IP (intellectual property)."

Microsoft said it is acquiring Nokia's Asha brand of low to mid-level smartphones and will license the Nokia brand for current Nokia mobile products.

"This element provides Microsoft with the opportunity to extend its service offerings to a far wider group around the world while allowing Nokia's mobile phones to serve as an on-ramp to Windows Phone," the companies said in a joint statement.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft said it will draw from its overseas cash resources to fund the transaction. When the deal closes in early 2014, about 32,000 Nokia employees will transfer to Microsoft, the companies said.

Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, said Stephen Elop will step aside as president and CEO to become executive vice president of Nokia devices and services. Chairman Risto Siilasmaa will stay in his current role and assume the duties of interim CEO.

Elop is expected to join Microsoft at the close of the transaction, along with several Nokia vice presidents.

Nokia plans to hold a news conference in Finland on Tuesday morning to discuss the deal.

【新聞快訊】

據(jù)國外媒體報道，微軟將以71.7億美元收購諾基亞設備與服務部門，加速發(fā)展Windows生態(tài)系統(tǒng)。

微軟美國時間周一晚間宣布，將以37.9億歐元（約合50億美元）的價格收購諾基亞旗下的大部分手機業(yè)務，另外再用16.5億歐元（約合21.8億美元）的價格購買諾基亞的專利許可證，因此這項交易的總價格大約為54.4億歐元（約合71.7億美元）。

埃洛普將放棄CEO職位，暫時擔任設備與服務部門執(zhí)行副總裁；諾基亞董事長里斯托西拉斯馬（Risto Siilasmaa）將擔任臨時CEO。

這項交易是一個明顯的信號，說明微軟相信它能夠而且必須在手機領域取得成功，它不能將這一成功拱手讓給合作伙伴，即便是將身家性命完全押在微軟WP手機軟件上的諾基亞也不例外。

對于諾基亞而言，雖然該公司賣掉了它最知名的業(yè)務給微軟，但它將仍專注于生產(chǎn)蜂窩網(wǎng)絡設備、地理位置服務Here和一些其它的先進技術。這些剩余的業(yè)務占公司2012年一半的收入。

本次收購無異于業(yè)界一大重磅消息，業(yè)內(nèi)人士紛紛發(fā)表看法。有觀點認為，微軟收購諾基亞設備與服務業(yè)務，未必是壞事。因為“微軟Windows Phone平臺發(fā)展步伐拖了諾基亞的后腿，諾基亞擁有最優(yōu)秀的硬件設備工業(yè)設計，兩者結(jié)合將加快WP平臺發(fā)展。

還有評論指出，現(xiàn)在手機三分天下，一方是谷歌和旗下安卓統(tǒng)治的市場，一方是蘋果和它的系列產(chǎn)品，還有一方就是今天微軟收購諾基亞所代表的新勢力。三足鼎立將成為以后智能手機市場的大格局。