This is absurd. Last week came the news that Microsoft was going to launch a retail store - and now Nokia is going to do the same in the online world.
The Microsoft idea is the most interesting as it's going to be imitating Apple's operation much more directly, both online and offline. For me, though, the odd thing is that both companies think this is a good time to be launching a new business venture.
I can't see it - or at least I couldn't. Only this morning the headlines on the radio in the UK were about a car manufacturer making 850 people redundant - in a small country this is bad news. It's been constant - so surely it's not a great time for a new business?
Except...if you dig a little and go beyond the big headlines, you start to find a few surprises. In the UK, restaurant chain KFC is going to open loads of new outlets and create 9000 jobs. No, they won't all be full time but there's got to be a net gain in there somewhere.
My guess - and I'm going to stick my neck out here - is that bad though the recession is, it's not as disastrous as some sections of the media are making it out to be. This is what Microsoft and Nokia are aiming for - the cautious buyer who still has money but not enough to throw around on middle men, the buyer who prefers to come straight to the Net and do his or her buying from the manufacturer.
A new business at this time is still a gamble. But it's not the gamble some people would have you believe.