Nokia closes down more software development

Editor: Andrew Flegg

Meltemi, the not-so-secret, low-end, Linux-based, Qt-running platform for the "next billion" is just one of several casualties of Nokia's final confirmation of them as - more or less - a Microsoft OEM. Ars Technica's Ryan Paul wrote: Embattled phone manufacturer Nokia has conducted another round of layoffs, reducing the company’s headcount by 10,000 employees. The company is tightening its focus and making deep cuts in areas that aren’t directly tied to its current Windows Phone strategy. In conjunction with the layoffs, Nokia has also reportedly terminated its Meltemi project. [...]

The phone giant’s platform strategy has been moving away from Linux ever since former Microsoft executive Stephen Elop took over as Nokia’s CEO. He transitioned the company to the Windows Phone 7 operating system, ended Nokia’s commitment to the Linux-based MeeGo operating system, and vowed to eventually phase out its legacy Symbian platform.

Unless Qt is brought to S40 (which is not outside the realms of possibility, but seems unlikely), Nokia does not seem to have any future technologies which provide a sensible follow on to Maemo and MeeGo users & developers.

On the day of the announcement, your editor attended a "BlackBerry 10 Developer Jam" in London. The work BlackBerry is putting into their Qt-based BB10 OS is impressive and, like Nokia before Elop, their Qt strategy *must* succeed. It certainly felt like BB10 would be the natural successor to Harmattan and the N9 for both users and application developers. RIM is a company who are regarded to have lost the confidence of purchasers, though. Nokia was in a similar position on February 2011 - until Elop's famous "Burning Platforms" memo flushed all revenue streams down the toilet for a year. Hopefully, RIM's management won't mismanage their challenges as Nokia's leadership team did.

Nokia lay-offs may include maemo.org resources & budget

In a thread on Nokia's share price, Quim Gil posted, in two separate messages: There goes as well the budget for funding maemo.org and paying the salaries of whoever has still a relationship with this community (Qt Project to follow, although there Nokia still keeps the support for the short term while looking for a way forward like a spin-off or the sale of the Qt asset). It's a decision made. The current situation and future trends of the Nokia stock, Lumia & Asha sales etc will have no influence on this decision.

No need to panic because as you see someone is working at the Nokia side and as you see you are getting the status update and details as soon as possible. About the details of the infrastructure and what would it take to bring it forward, Nemein knows. Henri Bergius (bergie) will be at the Qt Contributors Summit (June 21 - 23). In the meantime I expect more details about the future to be defined in the following days and weeks.