At one point, Nokia had owned the licenses for Qt, a multi-OS programing platform, <http://qt-project.org>. Hopefully, I think Qt was sold to Digia before Microsoft got their hands on it.
Jay Scherrer On 7/17/2014 5:37 PM, Derek Simkowiak wrote: > > Of the 18,000 layoffs, 12,500 will be from the "Nokia Devices and > Services" unit, which Microsoft acquired for $7.2 Billion in September > 2013. > > Most of those layoffs will be factory workers and "IT > professionals", which likely includes mobile app and hardware > developers. Most of those high-tech jobs are located in Finland, where > Nokia is headquartered. It is not yet known how many of the remaining > ~5,500 layoffs will be in Washington State, or how many are high tech jobs. > >> I hope that doesn't flood the IT world and depress wages for Linux >> developers. > > > I see no reason that would happen, unless Microsoft has a secret > stash of 5,500 Linux experts in Redmond that they have decided to lay off. > > The demand for Linux talent has only ever gone up. In the late > 1990's there was the need to support expensive legacy Unix systems > (SunOS, HP/UX, Irix, etc.) that worked like Linux (which ran on a 386). > Then there was the Internet explosion (LAMP, firewalls, SMTP, etc.), > then embedded Linux (ever see a home router or DVR running WinCE?), then > virtual server farms, and now with Android winning over Windows > Phone[1][2]. I'm hoping that the next big wave of Linux developer > demand will be in gaming, thanks to Valve's Steambox and major game > engines (e.g. Unity) now supporting Linux. > > The way Nokia bet the farm on Windows Phone (with Lumia) reminds me > of how SGI bet the farm on Windows NT (with their "Visual Workstations"). > > > Thanks, > Derek > > [1] > http://blogs.computerworld.com/windows-phone/23582/windows-phone-sales-stagnate-will-android-come-microsofts-rescue > > [2] > http://www.gsmarena.com/microsoft_kills_nokia_x_android_phones_lays_off_18000_people-news-9060.php > > > On 07/17/2014 03:39 PM, Paul Franz wrote: >> Today Microsoft announced it will trim its workforce by 18,000 over the >> coming few months. >> >> I hope that doesn't flood the IT world and depress wages for Linux >> developers. So many of the expected layoffs will be for people on work >> visas mostly from India. >> >
