Stephen Elop to head Microsoft's Devices team

Since the recent revelation that Microsoft has acquired Nokia’s devices and services unit, one of the biggest questions on everyone’s minds has been: What will ex-Nokia boss Stephen Elop do? Apparently, according to a company-wide email sent by Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer, Elop will be heading an expanded Devices team, which includes the company’s current Devices and Studios teams.

Currently handling the Xbox side of things is Julie Larson-Green, but she will be working directly under Elop once the Nokia acquisition by Microsoft is complete.

According to Ballmer’s email, “Julie Larson-Green will continue to run the Devices and Studios team, and will be focused on the big launches this fall including Xbox One and our Surface enhancements. Julie will be joining Stephen’s team once the acquisition closes, and will work with him to shape the new organization.”

Elop is picking up the reigns of Surface and Xbox, among other things

This will probably end up being a stepping stone for Elop as popular opinion in the wake of Ballmer’s retirement announcement has been that Elop will step up as Microsoft’s next head honcho.

An approximate 32,000 people are expected to transfer to Microsoft, including 4,700 people in Finland and 18,300 employees directly from manufacturing units across the world. The divisions which Microsoft will buy generated an estimated 14.9 billion euros (nearly 50 percent of Nokia’s net sales) in 2012.

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will pay 3.79 billion euros to purchase the Finnish company’s devices and services business, and 1.65 billion euros to license Nokia’s patents, for a total transaction price of 5.44 billion euro (approx $7.2 billion) in cash.