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Nokia CEO Memo on Their "Burning Platform"
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My thoughts exactly. I cant imagine what would pry me from my iPhone but I would love to see them try
"We've learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone. PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in.'' - Ed Colligan, former CEO of now defunct Palm.
If Nokia were to adopt Android as their OS then they would need to compete with all the other companies building Android phones...and if the Android arena is not all about cut-throat low margins now, it will get there this year, I suspect.
The Android phone makes have tried about every kind of gimmick to get people to buy their phones rather then the iPhone. We've seen over-sized phones, phones with slide-out keyboards, and phones that (sort of) run Flash programs. Nothing seems to blunt the iPhone acceptance.
Now that Verizon is selling the iPhone the only open channel that Android enjoyed now has to deal with the iPhone.
Don't get me wrong, I think the Android OS will be viable and strong even out into the future, but no one making phones for the OS will be making much profit.
I see MS WM7 hanging in there as long as people make phones for the OS, I'm not sure there's much enthusiasm for the OS...by the manufacturers or the public.
Nokia reminds me of another huge company that fell behind in the mobile arena... but who makes great fantasy videos that they never carry through on. You know who.
Anyway, I always enjoy viewing these Nokia concept scenarios, which were shown in early 2007:
Nokia: Achieving Together
Nokia: Connecting People
Nokia: Sharing Discoveries
Nokia: Inspiring Senses
Anyway, I always enjoy viewing these Nokia concept scenarios, which were shown in early 2007:
Nokia: Achieving Together
Nokia: Connecting People
Nokia: Sharing Discoveries
Nokia: Inspiring Senses
The way I see it...
Microsoft needs Nokia (to help make their equivalent of Google's Nexus devices)
Similarly though Nokia probably needs Android over WP7 so that they can keep their identity (customisations and control)
I don't think they are in a position to create their own platform at this stage, at least not as their most immediate move.
I think that following that memo now would be a very exciting time to work for Nokia. They have someone at the helm who is clearly demonstrating that they want to make a change and are not going to sit by and let things carry on for the company. I would be very inspired by that memo as a Nokia employee.
Can't wait to see what they come out with.
Microsoft needs Nokia (to help make their equivalent of Google's Nexus devices)
Similarly though Nokia probably needs Android over WP7 so that they can keep their identity (customisations and control)
I don't think they are in a position to create their own platform at this stage, at least not as their most immediate move.
I think that following that memo now would be a very exciting time to work for Nokia. They have someone at the helm who is clearly demonstrating that they want to make a change and are not going to sit by and let things carry on for the company. I would be very inspired by that memo as a Nokia employee.
Can't wait to see what they come out with.
I disagree... too much of a "me too" play if they go Android. WM7 would at least make them more unique and I'm guessing MS is begging them to go this route. They need each other right now.
They seem to blame their position solely on the 2007 iPhone and Android.
The 5110 was their last "best phone", and that was 1999. http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_5110-7.php
The N73 was rubbish in 2006, five years later symbian is still rubbish.
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_n73-1550.php
IMHO
And exactly how would adopting this open source platform give them a game changing and dominating competitive advantage over a huge herd of Android manufacturers? Nokia is a massive company. Moving their market share just a tiny bit requires multi-billion dollar whoppingly successful products. Adopting Android for Nokia might be like jumping from the burning platform into a sea heaving with starving great white sharks while covered with fresh blood.
...for the longest rehearsed suicide note in history.
Why is everyone celebrating the guy's openness? He has no choice. He was hired to save the company, and his best solution is a tie up with his old company. Wow, what a genius. What an imagination - not.
I was too, but I sure as hell won't ever be going to buy another Nokia,especially if it has Windows on board.
We just saw the first casualty in the mobile phone industry: Symbian - one of the few reasons to buy a Nokia for the past 3 years. How long before Nokia follow?
I will buy an Android if I've never used an iPhone, it's extremely hard for me to switch to another platform now. Anyway, it's not Nokia, which was my favorite pre-2008.
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I now admire Nokia for admitting their thoughts about the industry. & what the CEO has mentioned is right on track. Good Job & Good Luck Nokia.
I now admire Nokia for admitting their thoughts about the industry. & what the CEO has mentioned is right on track. Good Job & Good Luck Nokia.
Wait OK I think I get it now....
He's saying that if you work in Finland you're either moving country or fired. On top of that the most interesting parts of your job are being outsourced. Then hiring new talent it the heart of the most competitive marketplace for that talent.
I'm sure Apple, Facebook, Google,... HR departments are all going to be looking at the import list for new hires. I can see Nokia's webkit team getting split 50/50 Apple/Google.
I just can't help but think he's put the company into Palm emulation mode.
He's saying that if you work in Finland you're either moving country or fired. On top of that the most interesting parts of your job are being outsourced. Then hiring new talent it the heart of the most competitive marketplace for that talent.
I'm sure Apple, Facebook, Google,... HR departments are all going to be looking at the import list for new hires. I can see Nokia's webkit team getting split 50/50 Apple/Google.
I just can't help but think he's put the company into Palm emulation mode.
Microsoft
Microsoft should pay money for Nokia to switch to Windows Phone 7!
It seems like the perfect match: The big software and big hardware companies that were each too slow to jump into the smart phone arena (and now are both tying desperately to catch up).
Microsoft should pay money for Nokia to switch to Windows Phone 7!
It seems like the perfect match: The big software and big hardware companies that were each too slow to jump into the smart phone arena (and now are both tying desperately to catch up).
Your opinion is very fan boy and not educated. Sales are given by manufacturer. When you see Apple's market share that is vs. Samsung or RIM. Android devices are selling over 200,000 units/day. Apple has a head start, but in time Android will over take the iPhone. It's math.
Apple has a great echo system tying people into their hardware that does turn them a bit of a profit, but you forget phone makers have been making just phones all this time and haven't had any problems making money. Actually, they make more money using Android vs. in house software. They simply need to skin it (and not even need to.) Google is saving them tons of money on R&D. It's why the adoption rate of Android is so high and many companies are leaving behind their old OS-es. Why have a department of 1000 people working on a proprietary OS when you can have 100 tweaking and skinning.
And what Gimmicks? Android sold itself much like the iPhone.
Trust me. These companies aren't kids selling 25 cent lemonade for a dime. They make plenty of money not just on hardware, but getting money from carriers for exclusives and customizations as well. Samsung and several other companies have also tied their own online stores to their phones for movie downloads and the like too. Not to mention, Android will eventually have a much richer app store. Again it's math. In time once they iron out the fragmentation issues (which it looks liek there is a fix for) more and more developers will be there without all of Apple's restrictions and rejection letters.
And oh, I use an iPhone. It's going to be a competitive market.
Apple has a great echo system tying people into their hardware that does turn them a bit of a profit, but you forget phone makers have been making just phones all this time and haven't had any problems making money. Actually, they make more money using Android vs. in house software. They simply need to skin it (and not even need to.) Google is saving them tons of money on R&D. It's why the adoption rate of Android is so high and many companies are leaving behind their old OS-es. Why have a department of 1000 people working on a proprietary OS when you can have 100 tweaking and skinning.
And what Gimmicks? Android sold itself much like the iPhone.
Trust me. These companies aren't kids selling 25 cent lemonade for a dime. They make plenty of money not just on hardware, but getting money from carriers for exclusives and customizations as well. Samsung and several other companies have also tied their own online stores to their phones for movie downloads and the like too. Not to mention, Android will eventually have a much richer app store. Again it's math. In time once they iron out the fragmentation issues (which it looks liek there is a fix for) more and more developers will be there without all of Apple's restrictions and rejection letters.
And oh, I use an iPhone. It's going to be a competitive market.
Nokia needs to break itself up.
Nokia's biggest barriers to innovation is 1) themselves and 2) the socialist / Scandinavian modern mindset that has them paying way too much in taxes for employee overhead.
Nokia is an old, old company that was first to move into cellular telephones from their state-sponsored consumer products roots. The fact that they were on top for so long shows how slow to concept the rest of the telecommunications market came into the cellular market.
IMO, the only way to Nokia to save itself is to break itself up. They should cast off the deadwood and become about a half dozen different companies with half of them outside of EU regulations. The divisions that should group divorce are:
1) A telecommunications service company
2) A high end smartphone company
3) A low end commodity phone company
4) A mobile OS company
5) An electronics R&D company
6) A manual labor / retail services company
Of course the socialists will scream bloody murder and worry about their voter base dissolving with "job security" going away, but the tide is turning even in Europe. Cut off the fat right and you get some mean and profitable companies!
Nokia's biggest barriers to innovation is 1) themselves and 2) the socialist / Scandinavian modern mindset that has them paying way too much in taxes for employee overhead.
Nokia is an old, old company that was first to move into cellular telephones from their state-sponsored consumer products roots. The fact that they were on top for so long shows how slow to concept the rest of the telecommunications market came into the cellular market.
IMO, the only way to Nokia to save itself is to break itself up. They should cast off the deadwood and become about a half dozen different companies with half of them outside of EU regulations. The divisions that should group divorce are:
1) A telecommunications service company
2) A high end smartphone company
3) A low end commodity phone company
4) A mobile OS company
5) An electronics R&D company
6) A manual labor / retail services company
Of course the socialists will scream bloody murder and worry about their voter base dissolving with "job security" going away, but the tide is turning even in Europe. Cut off the fat right and you get some mean and profitable companies!
Hmmmm, this thread has a link to Nokia possibly doing something with MeeGo (Intel's Open Source Mobile OS):
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1089586/
maybe it will come to fruition?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1089586/
maybe it will come to fruition?
Last year, Nokia leased a office tower under construction in the middle of downtown Sunnyvale (almost exactly halfway between Infinite Loop and the Googleplex). Wonder how fast they'll fill it up?