The Nuts And Bolts Of Merging

According to a memo from Steve Ballmer to Microsoft employees last night, what Microsoft wants to do with Elop is create an expanded Devices team that will envelop the existing Devices and Studios group and many of the incoming Nokia employees. Elop will report directly to CEO Ballmer.

Larson-Green, for now, will continue to helm the Devices and Studios team pushing out the expected Xbox One and Surface revamp this fall, Ballmer indicated. "Julie will be joining Stephen’s team once the acquisition closes, and will work with him to shape the new organization," Ballmer continued. Meanwhile, several key Nokia players will also be reporting to Elop in his new role as head of the Devices group: Jo Harlow will continue to lead the Smart Devices team and Timo Toikkanen, will continue to lead the Mobile Phones team. Stefan Pannenbecker will lead Design. There are other aspects of Nokia's business that will have to be merged, such as marketing, sales, finance, HR… all of the cogs that help large companies keep on running. According to the tentative plan outlined by Ballmer, Nokia's sales team will remain intact, but will report to Microsoft COO B. Kevin Turner. Nokia's marketing will be folded into Microsoft's newly integrated global marketing group. Where things get fuzzy for the integration are in areas of manufacturing and figuring out a unified customer support infrastructure. That will be the big job ahead for Microsoft Corp. VP Tom Gibbons and Nokia EVP, Operations Juha Putkiranta, who will be leading the integration efforts on behalf of their respective companies.