After getting vastly approved by shareholders in mid-November and the U.S. Department of Justice(PDF) on Dec. 2, Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia has been given the final go-ahead by the European Commission, opening the way for a world of Microsoft-manufactured Windows Phones.
The acquisition of Nokia’s Devices and Services division brings Microsoft one step closer to its “One Microsoft” vision
The $7.35 billion deal will see Nokia’s Devices and Services division transfer to Microsoft as the company continues down its “One Microsoft” path and moves forward in its efforts to merge Windows Phone, Windows 8, and Xbox into one unified ecosystem where apps and features from all of their platforms will work together.
With the recent launch of the Xbox One out of the way, now all that’s left for the company is to find a replacement for Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and of course, get that highly-anticipated Windows Phone 8.1 update pushed out in a timely manner. It’s not clear who will be replacing Ballmer as of yet, and Windows Phone 8.1 is still at least a season away.