The trouble with rumors, however likely or unlikely they may be, is that they spread, and like wildfire in these days of the Internet. So by now everyone will have heard the rumor that Microsoft Corp is thinking of buying Finnish telecoms group Nokia Oy. Is there any wildfire without smoke? Last year they were two of twelve companies that got together in an industry-wide European venture to enhance digital wireless data communications using the GSM mobile standard (CI No 3,011), and both were involved in a joint electronic payments initiative (CI No 2,910). Nokia would certainly have the wireless technology Microsoft is likely to want in the future, but analysts all seem to agree that a link-up between the two is, as one put it, an unlikely prospect however much it makes sense.
