Nokia’s CEO hints about supporting a 3rd party OS, possibly Windows Phone 7

Rumours have been flying for some time of Nokia doing a Windows Phone 7 handset.  While we have had officials from the company denying this, the CEO is in fact pouring more fuel on the fire.

Speaking after announcing disappointing results for the last quarter, Stephen Elop, ex-Microsoftie and now CEO of Nokia, noted that the company needed to move faster and should have a better strategy around operating systems.

“The game has changed from battle of devices to war of ecosystems,” Elop said, adding later that “Our industry has changed and we have to change faster.”

Draw a distinction between the low and high-end of the markets, he suggesting a dual-OS strategy may be on the cards. 

This was of course the plan for some time now with Meego, but Elop’s next statement may spell the death knell for the nascent OS.

He mentioned the need for Nokia to “build or join a competitive ecosystem,”  and while he did not confirm this, he said the move to a 3rd party operating system, could be possible because the company still maintained an inherent advantage due to a strong brand name and carrier relationships.

The only two real 3rd party alternatives are Android and Windows phone 7, with many analysts suggesting in the recent past that Windows Phone 7 is the more natural fit for Nokia.

“Clearly there is a pattern of disappointments in the United States,” Elop said.

Earlier in the day Nokia reported that December quarter profit fell 20 percent as the company “faced significant challenges” and lower margins.

Read more of our previous coverage of Nokia and Windows Phone here.

Via  AllthingsD.com.