Nokia at crisis point, warns new boss Stephen Elop

Stephen Elop describes the company as standing on a "burning platform" surrounded by innovative competitors who are grabbing its market share.

In particular, he said, the firm had been caught off guard by the success of Google's Android operating system and Apple's iPhone.

BBC News has verified that the memo is genuine.

"The first iPhone shipped in 2007, and we still don't have a product that is close to their experience," chief executive Mr Elop wrote in the note that was distributed to the Finnish company's staff and was first published by technology website Engadget.

"Android came on the scene just over two years ago, and this week they took our leadership position in smartphone volumes. Unbelievable."

Although Nokia leads the global smartphone market in terms of handset sales, its overall share has been gradually declining; Kazinform cites BBC News.

See www.bbc.co.uk for full version