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Tim Cook says Nokia died because it didn't innovate, Microsoft now copying Apple's strategy

Tim Cook says Nokia died because it didn't innovate, Microsoft now copying Apple's strategy

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tim cook wwdc 2013
tim cook wwdc 2013

In an extensive interview published today by Bloomberg Businessweek, Apple CEO Tim Cook shares his thoughts on Microsoft's planned acquisition of Nokia's mobile phone business.  "Everybody is trying to adopt Apple's strategy," says Cook. "We're not looking for external validation of our strategy, but I think it does suggest that there's a lot of copying, kind of, on the strategy and that people have recognized that importance."

"To not innovate is to die."

In regards to Nokia itself, Tim Cook believes the rest of the industry should pay close attention to its fate. "I think [Nokia] is a reminder to everyone in business that you have to keep innovating and that to not innovate is to die." Until recently, Nokia had a massive lead in global marketshare, but with the rise of the iPhone and Android, its lead slowly withered. Nokia could never be accused of not innovating on hardware, but the company's software fell behind its competitors.

In 2010, Microsoft Business division head Stephen Elop became Nokia CEO, and during his tenure transitioned the company away from its Symbian and Meego operating systems onto Windows Phone. Two weeks ago, Microsoft announced it is buying Nokia's Devices and Services division, pending regulatory approval.

Read next: Apple's Cook, Ive, and Federighi on Android, innovation, and 'new' versus 'right'