By Paul McWilliams, Next Inning

One of the readers of the Next Inning newsletter suggested that Nokia (NOK) seems to be getting quite good press and that its new product announcements look promising.

I completely agree.

I also agree with the contention that an exceptionally well designed Win 8-based tablet could mean great things -- particularly if a Win 8 device is well aligned with corporate desktops and business user needs.

This could be a pivotal event for Nokia. My gut reaction is that the company's new design head, Marko Ahtisaari, is someone who can deliver such a compelling device.

The trajectory and execution at the company is well aligned since Stephen Elop took over as CEO -- one of the more welcome CEO changes we've seen at a major tech company in the recent past.

While Nokia needed a major overhaul, I think the company has made more progress towards that goal than its stock price today suggests.

Of course, much of the pressure on price has been attributable to broader negative pressures from the fiscal problems facing Europe. As I see it, NOK is positioned well for a turnaround during the second half of 2012.

One additional point I'll add is it appears that Nokia Siemens Networks -- a joint venture between Nokia and Siemens --  will not require, or receive, any cash this year from the mother-ships and may itself actually emerge from 2012 in pretty good shape.

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