The $7.4-billion Microsoft acquisition of Nokia will close this week, despite the ongoing tax-related dispute the Finnish telecom major is facing in India. This was indicated jointly by both companies while sharing information about customer data privacy and contracts.
Nokia expects to complete the sale of its Devices and Services business to Microsoft on April 25 (Friday). With the completion of this transaction, a Microsoft Finnish affiliate assumes responsibility for ‘your’ personal data and the contractual relationships for the products and services related to this business, says a statement issued by Chad Fentress, Vice-President and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Nokia, and Brendon Lynch, Chief Privacy Officer, Microsoft.
According to the original plan, the deal was to close by March-end. However, due to legal issues in China and India, the closing date was deferred to April-end. The deal was recently cleared in China. However, it has been dragging on in India as the Finnish telecom major is involved in legal tangle over tax-related issues with the Income Tax department and the Tamil Nadu sales tax department.
The tax issue needs to be resolved in the next ten days to enable Nokia’s transfer the asset (now frozen by the IT department) to Microsoft as part of the global deal. If the deal goes through and the assets are not transferred, the Sriperumbudur factory will become a sub-contractor for Microsoft for a period of one year.
“Microsoft cares deeply about your privacy and the protection of your personal data and will continue to collect and use your personal data in the same ways and for the same reasons as Nokia, and you should experience no difference as a result of the sale,” said the statement available with Business Line .
Nokia will continue to run its businesses, including the HERE location-based products and services which are not part of the Microsoft acquisition. The responsibility for your personal data and your contractual relationship relating to these Nokia products and services remains with Nokia. Nokia continues to be committed to the highest standards to protect your privacy and your personal data, the statement added.
“We wanted to give you notice of these changes. Our commitment to your privacy remains paramount,” it said.
Nokia has already offered a voluntary retirement scheme for its 6,600 permanent staff at the factory, and recently told trainees that they may not be hired in the plant. “Time is running out for us,” said a member of the Nokia Thozilalargal Sangam, a union representing employees at Nokia factory.