Nokia Siemens Networks deal sparks talk of renewed Microsoft merger

With Nokia now committed to expanding its presence in the telecom equipment market with its full acquisition of Nokia Siemens Networks, speculation has once again turned to the company possibly spinning off its handset division. Benzinga notes that JP Morgan has already come out with research suggesting that Nokia is preparing to exit the smartphone business, which could mean selling off its handset segment to Microsoft. We learned last month that Microsoft and Nokia were deep into merger negotiations before Microsoft reportedly got cold feet and broke off the deal because it was worried about Nokia’s low market share. While Benzinga is skeptical that Nokia is really looking to unload its smartphone business, the publication notes that it “has no qualms about selling divisions it no longer needs” and that “last year the company announced a massive sale to unload assets and operations that were no longer pulling their weight.”