speculation

This more of a microblog entry than a proper blog entry. Something that was a topic of discussion at MindTrek around a dinner table:

Would Google soon be in the position to seriously hurt Nokia and the Telcos?

Imagine this: Google creates a very nice Android phone, with its own app market and all. They give it away to consumers for free, free calls, free data, free sms, if the consumer is willing to look (and possibly listen) at adds. A bit like Blyk.

Now what do you think that does to Nokia's business model? And the business models of Nokia's customers = the Telcos?

Google has some 12,7 to 15 billion USD in cash, and about 30bn in total assets. The entire TeliaSonera corporation (Scandinavia's largest telco) is worth about 22.5 billion USD for a 100% stake. Just as a half-serious thought: they could probably buy a Telco and start doing just that; giving advertising-enabled phones away for free. Naturally a better strategy may be to partner up with an international telco and go kick the competition's butt together.