Here’s a story to talk about today at the water cooler: wireless industry insider Eldar Murtazin is claiming that Microsoft has struck a deal with Nokia to purchase their mobile arm for $19 billion dollars - wow. Word has it that the deal could close as soon as the end of the year. What makes this story even more believable is that Nokia’s CEO is former Microsoft executive Stephen Elop and a handset deal has already been struck between the two companies, which sees over a dozen Windows Phone 7 powered Nokia’s launching in the coming year.

More to follow on this story.

[via BGR]