5 things to know today…
1. Nokia moved one step closer to relaunching its smartphone brand with news that Pekka Rantala will become CMO at the company that has licensed the Nokia brand. Rantala is a Nokia veteran who also has served as CEO of Rovio. Now he will become CMO of HMD Global Oy, the company formed by Nokia to license its brand for mobile devices.
Nokia was once the world’s leading maker of mobile devices, and continued to sell millions of feature phones despite its failure to launch a leading smartphone. The company sold its mobile device business to Microsoft in 2014, and the terms of that contract prevented Nokia from selling Nokia-branded phones until this year. HMD is expected to relaunch the Nokia brand through Android smartphones manufactured by Foxconn.
2. Foxconn’s latest earnings report may be a harbinger of continued softness in the smartphone market. The company said second-quarter revenue was down 5% year-on-year and net income fell 31%. Foxconn recently agreed to acquire a majority stake in Japan’s Sharp for $3.8 billion.
3. “Over-the-top” service providers in the European Union may face the same regulations as telecom providers when it comes to location data privacy. According to Reuters, the EU is considering a proposal to extend some rules about user data to companies offering internet voice and data services.
Right now in Europe, telecom companies cannot keep or use location data generated by their customers, but competitors like Google and Facebook can. The EU proposal would force over-the-top players to adhere to more of the rules followed by wireless carriers and fixed-line telecom service providers.
4. Honeywell is reportedly set to buy JDA Software for $3 billion. JDA sells software for supply chain management, and is teaming up with Intel’s “internet of things” group to combine sensor technology and analytics with store logistics capabilities.
5. Smart meter systems maker Sensus will reportedly become part of water equipment company Xylem in a $1.7 billion deal. Xylem sells water monitoring and wastewater treatment equipment under a number of brand names. Sensus has extended its smart meter solutions into water applications, helping one city reduce water use by 20%.
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