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Nokia acquires Alcatel-Lucent for EUR 15.6 billion
NEW DELHI: In a major announcement, Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent have decided to merge capabilities for enabling the next wave of technological change including the Internet and transition to the cloud. Nokia coughed up EUR 15.6 billion ($16.6 billion) to acquire Alcatel-Lucent.
The new company, to be known as Nokia Corporation, will have more than 40,000 R&D employees.
Alcatel-Lucent shareholders will own 33.5 per cent while Nokia shareholders would own 66.5 per cent in the new corporation.
Risto Siilasmaa will be chairman and Rajeev Suri will be CEO of the new corporation. It will be headquartered in Finland.
The combined company expects to target approximately EUR 900 million of operating cost synergies. The proposed company would have had net sales of EUR 25.9 billion on a FY 2014 combined basis, a non-IFRS operating profit of EUR 2.3 billion, a reported operating profit of EUR 0.3 billion, and R&D investments of approximately EUR 4.7 billion.
However, Alcatel-Lucent’s Bell Labs and Nokia’s FutureWorks, as well as Nokia Technologies, which will stay as a separate entity with clear focus on licensing and the incubation of new technologies.
The new company will be in a position to accelerate development of future technologies including 5G, IP and software-defined networking, cloud, analytics as well as sensors and imaging.
Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia have strength in the United States, China, Europe and Asia-Pacific. They will also bring together the best of fixed and mobile broadband, IP routing, core networks, cloud applications and services.
Consumers are looking to access data, voice and video across networks of all kinds. In this environment technology that used to operate independently now needs to work well together. Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent are uniquely suited to helping telecom operators, internet players and large enterprises address this challenge.
The combined company’s Board of Directors will have nine or ten members, including three members from Alcatel-Lucent, one of whom would serve as vice chairman.
The combined company would target approximately EUR 900 million of operating cost synergies to be achieved on a full year basis in 2019, if the deal is finalized by the middle of 2016.
The combined company would target approximately EUR 200 million of reductions in interest expenses to be achieved on a full year basis in 2017.
Suri said, “We have hugely complementary technologies and the comprehensive portfolio necessary to enable the internet of things and transition to the cloud. We will have a strong presence in every part of the world, including leading positions in the United States and China.”
Alcatel-Lucent CEO Michel Combes added, “A combination of Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent will offer a unique opportunity to create a European champion and global leader in ultra-broadband, IP networking and cloud applications.”
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Nodwin Gaming appoints Sonal Varma as global director of live events
Former Comic Con India VP to scale global gaming and pop culture experiences
MUMBAI: Nodwin Gaming has appointed Sonal Varma as global director of live events, bringing on board a seasoned architect of fan communities as the company accelerates its global push in gaming, esports and youth culture.
Varma steps into the role with more than 15 years of experience creating large-scale fan experiences and cultural platforms. She is best known for her long stint at Comic Con India, where she most recently served as vice president and helped transform the convention into one of the country’s most recognisable pop culture gatherings.
At Nodwin Gaming, Varma will lead the strategy, design and execution of the company’s global live event initiatives. Her mandate includes expanding flagship intellectual properties and developing new formats that bring gaming communities together across emerging markets.
Over the years, Varma has been closely associated with building and scaling community-led events such as Comic Con India, Geekly and the Indian Cosplay Championship. Her work has focused on turning niche fandoms into thriving cultural ecosystems by blending entertainment, creator culture and brand partnerships.
Her appointment comes at a time when Nodwin Gaming is expanding its international events footprint through properties such as DreamHack India, NH7 Weekender, Comic Con India and the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series. The company has also been growing its presence across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa through esports tournaments, gaming festivals and fan conventions.
Nodwin Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee, said Varma’s experience in building fan-centric platforms would play a key role in the company’s next phase of growth.
“Sonal brings a deep understanding of how live experiences can bring communities together around gaming and pop culture. As we expand our global live events footprint, her experience will help us create experiences that feel authentic and meaningful for audiences across markets,” he said.
Varma said the scale of opportunity at Nodwin Gaming made the move particularly exciting.
“Joining Nodwin Gaming at this moment feels incredibly exciting because the canvas is so large. There are new audiences, new markets and new formats waiting to be explored. I’m looking forward to working with teams across the network to create live experiences that celebrate gaming culture while staying rooted in the communities that power it,” she said.
Over the past few years, Nodwin Gaming has built an ecosystem that stretches across competitive gaming, creator communities, music festivals and youth culture platforms. With Varma now leading global live events, the company is looking to further expand its flagship properties while experimenting with new formats that blend gaming, entertainment and fandom for audiences around the world.
