The Nokia-Microsoft blockbuster deal is going to be a bust, except for one thing:
If there is one upside, then I do believe that this just might be the best thing to happen to Finland and the Finnish startup scene. A lot of the talent draining out of Nokia will look for new opportunities in their areas of expertise — radio engineering, manipulating sensors and embedded systems. If anything, this is Finland’s big opportunity to become the epicenter of the Internet of Things.
The success of Angrybirds and SuperCell has shown that world beating startups can come from Finland. I am looking forward to more — and going back to Helsinki will now be even more fun. (You can read my opinions on the Nokia-Microsoft deal over on GigaOM.)