Nokia, more than a cellphone

With all the Apple fetish that exists in our industry we often forget about Nokia.  Which seems to be a mistake.  They're the largest cellphone manufacturer in the world, with 1.1 billion users globally and they have grand plans (as this article from the current Fast Company outlines).   

Anyway, this week was their big forum, Nokia World.  And they announced a brilliant idea called Nokia Money.  Essentially this is a bank's biggest nightmare as they have singlehandedly created the world's biggest networks of ATMs.  

What really interests me is the company's ability, that frankly often sees alien in the US (no doubt aided by the brilliant work of Jan Chipchase (speaking in NYC soon at PSFK)), to see outside the western world and focus on opportunities in emerging markets.  Not only are there twice as many people with mobile phones than have bank accounts around the world, but many of these are in the emerging, fast growing markets of countries like India.  Markets where micropayments, due to their sheer volume, can quickly build a very large business.  And it's also interesting to see another historical manufacturer understand that the future lies in the creation and design of ecosytems and platforms, not simply physical objects.

I think this is a platform to watch. It's going to be interesting to see the ecosystem that evolves around it.

Comments

[Kieron Monahan]

Good post Gareth. Its a view of Nokia not often raised. Their power in emerging markets is significant. I think the greatest challenge for Nokia, to quote you, "lies in the creation and design of ecosystems and platforms, not simply physical objects.". The challenge for them though is that they need to do a lot more of that a lot faster than they have so far because they are just behind the Apple, BlackBerry, Android curves.
What they are brilliant at is the 'middle ground'. The Finns have a very collaborative, listen to everyone culture. Which was probably partly responsible for them bringing the mobile phone market to pretty much everyone. Nokia Money is a great platform. Ovi isn't. (Yet. Will it be? Don't know, but their objective should be to make it so by gounding it in a really useful idea, as opposed to hoping they grow through volume of handsets sold).
I think they have really scored with the customisable UI seen on the N97. But the hardware itself isn't great, its ok, but not great.
And I think we need Nokia to be great again. Remember the 8110? Remember the first 9000 Communicator. They were defining products and we need Nokia to apply the same ethos to todays world of platforms and useful stuff.
I do think the new Maemo platform looks awesome. http://maemo.nokia.com/ The key is how open Nokia make the OS, i.e. it needs to be from day 1.
But it really is a PC-grade OS which serves the user, enabling us to do the things we want in really useful innovative ways. From what I have seen so far, Maemo is the thing that will finally put the Connecting back into Connecting People for Nokia.
(full disclosure; I was the Global Planning Director on Nokia for IPG for 2 years, 2007/8).

[Rob A]

hi Gareth,
Nokia Money should be a great success. Vodafone have been trialling M-Pesa in Kenya with Safaricom and in Afghanistan with Roshan with big success. In Kenya they got to 1.4 million users in less than 12 months. There is also a flourishing m-payment eco-system in the Philippines.
Full disclosure - i am the global planning director on Nokia at JWT (as well as Shell)

[Cellular in Philippine Phone]

I agree to this blog that its interesting to see another historical manufacturer understand that the future lies in the creation and design of ecosytems and platforms, not simply physical objects,good you shared this.

reign

[Belstaff Blouson Jacket]

Nice, and thanks for sharing this info with us.Good Luck!

[mobile spy]

We should admit that Nokia 1100 is still the biggest-selling mobile of all time – more than 250 million were made. And i hope it will bring into world more.