A new low: Microsoft paid Nokia 250 million to use WP7 exclusively.

[Radiation]

From Engadget
"Microsoft and Nokia have historically been pretty tight-lipped about the value of their Windows Phone partnership, but the cat leapt out of the bag this morning, courtesy of Espoo's Q4 2011 earnings report. As SlashGear's Chris Davies noticed, Nokia received about $250 million from Redmond during the fourth quarter of 2011, as part of the companies' "broad strategic agreement." Under the agreement, the manufacturer receives so-called "platform support payments" from Microsoft -- which, in turn, receives software licensing payments from Nokia. The $250 million Microsoft doled out last quarter is the first of these transactions. All told, Nokia expects the payments both to and from Microsoft to total "in the billions of US Dollars.""

This is pretty much the most pathetic, desperate thing I have ever seen Microsoft do.We've alway suspected something like this was the case, but this is your verification.

[Socal]

I understand the need to push for market share over profits when you're trying to break into a market, but when you have someone with as much cash (from other markets) as Microsoft buying their way in (at almost any cost) it distorts the market and puts real (and unfair) pressure on companies who are legitimately trying to run their business like a business.

[Radiation]

It's a good thing MS has lost sway with a lot of manufacturers. They might be able to force them to pay liscensing fees, but that doesn't mean they're using MS products.

[Minisuit]

Absolutely Correct!!!.....I do agree with Radiation