'No change' after Nokia mobile joins Microsoft

Everything will "remain as usual" after Microsoft Corp completes its $7.2 billion deal to buy Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia Oyj on Friday, employees from Nokia told China Daily.

"Nokia is still in charge of our sales … after it becomes of a part of Microsoft," said a Nokia employee who did not want to be named.

"We are having new smartphone releases next month in China, and the Nokia team is handling everything," the employee said.

"The only change so far is I've got a new Microsoft e-mail address."

Microsoft announced plans to acquire Nokia's mobile device business in September. It was a major move for the United States software giant to expand the Windows phone union while competing against Google Inc's Android and Apple Inc's iOS alignments.

The acquisition will also enhance Microsoft's mobile device development power.

The deal was expected to be closed at least a month earlier, but a review process in some Asian nations delayed the transaction.

Reuters said Nokia might have to make concessions over the license fees it will charge on patents that will remain with the Finnish firm after the deal is closed.