What company was formed by the 2007 merger of Nokia Networks and Siemens Communications?

Nokia Siemens Networks was formed by the 2007 merger of Nokia Networks and Siemens Communications’ carrier-equipment businesses.

Nokia and Siemens announced the joint venture in June 2006, and Nokia Siemens Networks began operations in April 2007. The company combined Nokia’s telecommunications-network activities with Siemens’ carrier-network equipment and services. Nokia and Siemens each held an equal share initially.

The venture supplied mobile and fixed-line network infrastructure, including equipment and services for telecommunications operators. Its formation reflected a period of intense consolidation among network vendors, as operators demanded larger suppliers capable of supporting increasingly complex communications systems.

Nokia bought Siemens’ 50 percent stake in 2013, making Nokia Siemens Networks a wholly owned Nokia business. The company was renamed Nokia Solutions and Networks in the same year and later integrated into Nokia. It should not be confused with Nokia’s separate mobile-phone handset business or with the 2016 acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent.