Nokia Siemens Networks have appeared on the Finnish business credit report services for some unpaid bills. Sums are small (<800 Euros) and Nokia Siemens spokeswoman is blaming administrative mishaps due to the merger of the two companies. Embarrassing none the less.
Debtors chase Nokia Siemens Networks
Published October 30, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Nokia Siemens Networks
iPhone App Store: 200 million downloads in 102 days
Published October 21, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: App Store, Apple, iPhone
Today during the earnings call Steve Job told the analysts (and everyone else listening), that the iPhone App store will cross the 200 million downloads mark tomorrow — only 102 days after its opening.
Job also boasted the fact that they sold/ shipped more iPhones last quester than RIM and the fact that Apple is now the 3rd largest phone mobile phone company when measured in revenues.
Replay available of the call here.
The App Store has truly changed the game for all mobile applications developers. Google’s Android is getting closer to launch, but there seems to be only few dozen apps that made the cut. RIM promised developers 80% cut (vs. Apple’s 70%), but they won’t be launching their version of the app store until March 2009.
Much has been made of Apple’s seemingly random and/ or unfair rejections of some applications either for competing wih them or for moral/ content reasons. For application developers none of the other platforms at the moment can match iPhone as a platform where developers can monetize their ideas. As one app developer described it:
“…the App store provides such a brilliant platform, commercially and functionally, to get value from our apps. “
Nokia CFO Simonson: We have lower costs, better brand & quality
Published October 16, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: iPhone, Nokia, RIM, smartphone
Nokia’s net income dropped by 30% in the third-quarter from year ago. Declined market share was blamed on price cutting:
“Multiple factors contributed to the sequential decline in our mobile device market share. These included our tactical decision not to meet certain aggressive pricing of some competitors, the overall market competition, including entry markets, and the temporary impact of a slower ramp-up of a mid-range Nokia device in the third quarter 2008.”
Everyone is not buying that excuse as Nokia’s market share on smart phones has dropped from 50% year ago to 35% last quarter.
Apple iPhone and RIM are eating Nokia’s lunch on two fronts. iPhone is the ultimate multimedia device at the moment and Nokia hasn’t been able to compete with RIM at all especially in North America (even if RIM is scared of Apple as well).
Nokia CFO Simonson is still staying on message though. In an interview with Finnish business paper Kauppalehti he said:
“We have lower costs, better brand loyalty, better quality. We don’t have go with unsustainable pricing.
We have competitive phone lineup and people want devices, which are useful to them.”
He didn’t say anything about consumers wanting cool phones.
iPhone App success leads to breakup among founders
Published October 15, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: App Store, iPhone
I’ve been following few different blogs documenting their authors efforts in setting up iPhone App businesses. One of my favorite blogs, TapTapTap, hadn’t been updated for a while and now we’ve learned it’s due to a breakup between the founders.
There must be quite a few small(er) partnerships that are going through growing pains with new found success they’ve had with App Store. Going from exciting side-project into hundreds of thousands in revenues quickly can test even long standing friendships, especially if the roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined. As a result of the divorce the assets are being split and or sold.
I wish these guys good luck.
How to make your iPhone uncool?
Published October 14, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: hoax, iPhone, windows mobile
Norwegian developer shows Windows Mobile running on iPhone: .
Looks like a way to be either cool or uncool, depending on your level or nerdiness. But unfortunately it has been deemed a hoax already.
South Africa reaching 100% mobile penetration
Published October 11, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: mobile banking, south africa
Mobile phone penetration in South Africa is now at 98.5% and will cross 100% soon. When all the mobile hype in media (both traditional and blogosphere) is about iPhone, G1 and so on it’s easy to forget that lot is happening beyond the usual places in North America, Europe or Asia.
Phones do not give access to up-to-date information, which has really high ROI (previous post), but also is tool for mobile banking, person-to-person money transfers, etc. While I do love iPhone App Store (which is available in South Africa), all innovation doesn’t come from Cupertino, Espoo or Seoul.
China Mobile heading to Silicon Valley
Published October 10, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: china mobile
Everyone from Google to Microsoft to Nokia have been opening and growing their research labs and efforts in China. Now China Mobile is going the other way around and is planning to open a R&D center in Silicon Valley next year accoriding to ChinaTechNews/ ZD Net Asia.
Montreal based designer Setefan Dukazewski has come up with Wi-Fi sneakers, which detect all wireless access points around points every step of the way.
Maybe next generation mobile connectivity will be based on sneaker mesh-networks instead of WiMAX.
Nokia making friends with record labels?
Published October 7, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: 5800 Xpress Music, india, music industry, Nokia, record labels
Much has already been written about Nokia 5800 features and whether it matches iPhone, etc. Reception has been mixed at best.
The fact that it’s not going to be launched in most of Western World until some time 2009 has also received attention by bloggers and main stream press alike. Only Spain seems to have made the cut in Europe and overall the big push seems to be in India.
Starting in India could be way to get EMI, Universal , Sony BMG and Warner on board with the eat-all-you-can music plan for 12 months that comes with the phones.
Most majors are making very little money from their catalogue in places like India where piracy is rampant. Ringtones and ringbacktones have made lot of money there, but CD, online and mobile full track sales have been close to non-existent.
Nokia should be making some regional label execs in Mumbai pretty happy at the moment. Maybe the goodwill will pay for Nokia later at some other markets. In New York and London the record companies might the the only ones really hoping that 5800 is the iPhone killer (at least in the 3rd world).
Kallasvuo: ‘Nokia best equipped to meet challenge set by iPhone’
Published July 18, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: Apple, iPhone, Kallasvuo, mobile phone, Nokia
Nokia President and CEO Kallasvuo gave an interview to Finnish business daily Kauppalehti and called Apple believable (or formidable) competitor in many markets. According to him new competitors are showing what all mobile phones are capable of and continues to say: “…we can meet this challenge better than anyone else.” Continue reading ‘Kallasvuo: ‘Nokia best equipped to meet challenge set by iPhone’’
