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Report: Microsoft Changing Nokia Lumia Brand to 'Microsoft Lumia'

UPDATE 10/24: Microsoft confirmed the change to Microsoft Lumia in a blog post Friday. Original story follows.

Microsoft's mobile device business will officially be called "Microsoft Lumia," replacing the Windows Phone and Nokia Lumia brands, according to a media report on Monday.

The information comes from The Verge's Tom Warren, citing a message on the Nokia France Facebook page which states, "We are on the verge of becoming 'Microsoft Lumia!'" Warren said that he has received confirmation from Microsoft that the new Microsoft Lumia branding will take effect first in France, with other countries following "in the coming weeks."

This follows a report from last month indicating that Microsoft intends to shorten Nokia Lumia to just Lumia, and Windows Phone to just Windows, on all mobile devices and marketing materials by this holiday season. That report, which cited an alleged internal Microsoft document posted by Geek on Gadgets, was unconfirmed by Microsoft.

Microsoft acquired Nokia's mobile device business, including the Lumia line of Windows Phones, in April. Since then, Microsoft has said that it would change the Nokia Lumia branding as part of the transition into Microsoft, but has not definitively said how.

Upon completing the acquisition, Microsoft renamed Nokia's phone business from "Nokia Oyj" to "Microsoft Mobile Oy." However, Microsoft Corporate Vice President and former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop clarified in an online Q&A that "Microsoft Mobile Oy is a legal construct that was created to facilitate the merger. It is not a brand that will be seen by consumers."

Elop confirmed that Microsoft only has the rights to the Nokia brand for a limited time -- until October 2015 for smartphones, if another alleged internal Microsoft document posted in June by online leaker "evleaks" is accurate -- and that the company is working on a new name for its smartphone business.

About the Author

Gladys Rama (@GladysRama3) is the editorial director of Converge360.

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