Nokia shareholders approve $7.2 billion deal for sale of devices business to Microsoft

It’s the end of an era for Nokia as its shareholders approve a $7.2 billion deal with Microsoft to sell all of Nokia’s Devices & Services business, license Nokia’s patents, and license and use Nokia’s mapping services.

Nokia’s shareholders have approved the sale of its devices & services unit to Microsoft at an EGM held today in Helsinki, the FT reports. The transaction is still expected to close in the first quarter of next year, with Nokia in a caretaker role of its own mobile making division until early 2014.