London ( CNN ) -- It 's easy to ask why Microsoft would want to buy Nokia when its share of the smartphone handset market is sliding . What can Microsoft possibly do to reverse Nokia 's fading fortunes ? The emails from analysts pouring into my inbox are evenly split -- great idea or a disaster ; relatively cheap bet by Microsoft ( at $ 7 billion ) or a share price-eroding move . Read more : Why deal is good for both . So , can Microsoft leverage its monopoly selling software and services contracts to corporations , and get a slice of the employees ' mobile business ? Or , by getting a product which it is already in partnership with , is Microsoft simply buying the cow when it 's already getting the milk ? Watch more : Microsoft 's deal with Nokia . The deal comes as no surprise . When Stephen Elop left Microsoft more than two years ago to become Nokia 's first non-Finnish CEO , it seemed logical the two companies would eventually meld . One question rightly being asked , is whether rival handset makers or operators will simply stop making phones with Microsoft 's mobile operating system . In my view , it does n't matter . Nokia and Microsoft joined ranks two years ago and the others were a fraction of Microsoft 's fraction of the mobile operating market . Read more : Is one mobile enough ? The question in my mind , is whether Microsoft can take its mobile operating system and make it a player in the burgeoning market of cheap smartphones . Nokia still makes more handsets than any other manufacturer , and now that 's Microsoft 's business . Nokia 's market share was 23.4 % in the last quarter of 2012 , according to research firm Gartner . That 's because Nokia sells an enormous number of cheaper mobiles in emerging markets . Microsoft 's task , then , is to stuff a cheaper version of its smartphone OS into these more affordable phones . The sales channel is there . The brand name of Nokia is known the world over . Microsoft is an expert at sales and marketing . The bigger task may be to integrate more than 30,000 employees into the Microsoft ecosystem . Many companies gamble that a bolt-on acquisition is the sure-fire solution to a missing piece of the puzzle . But it can set a company up to fail . A real competitor to Google-Android and the Apple iPhone could be around the corner . But it will be a huge task for Steve Ballmer 's successor .
What does Microsoft see in Nokia , a business whose share of the smartphone handset market is sliding ? The company has been trying to get into Nokia's mobile phone business, but it hasn't had much luck so far. But there is potential for this to be a win for both . Microsoft will need to figure out a way to tap the cheaper smartphone market . It will need to do this while also ensuring the two companies are merged -- not an easy task .