(keitai-l) Nokia copying Apple with new Symbian software strategy and value proposition.

From: Giovanni Bertani <giovanni.bertani_at_exsense.com>
Date: 03/22/04
Message-Id: <885A337A-7B8C-11D8-8288-000A95DA29F0@exsense.com>
Interesting... at CEBIT Nokia is now their new handsets the phones by 
adding value with exclusive installed software.

In their last phone the 7610 they have introduced two softwares 
compatible only with this handsets: a video editing software capable of 
producing videos up to 10 minuts long and  a blogging software.

http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,,54665,00.html

It is a innovative value proposition. Looks like that Nokia wants to 
build value with softwares compatible only with a specific new 
handsets. This is probably due to the danger of commodizing the 
hardware and to avoid this, in a way, they are bypassing Series 60 as a 
standard platform. Something similar to Apple Computer that has 
introduces digital lifestyle products with their iLife suite that runs 
only on Mac OS computers:

http://www.apple.com/ilife/

I really expect that Nokia will introduce more and more software 
compatible only with their handsets. In this way Nokia will create a 
"platform within the platform" to build up more value to avoid the 
commodity effect without closing the opportunity of having third party 
softwares.

Also this is going to increase their competition with operators as they 
are building a exclusive user experience totally independent from the 
operators. If this strategy will be successful operators could be 
marginalized.

There are several strategic questions involved with this:

1) Are average users going to install complex softwares in the future?
2) Is Java MIDP 2.0 capable of offering similar expected 
functionalities like Symbian c++ applications?
3) Are those softwares shifting the value from the operators services 
to the OS, handset, software supplier (In this case Nokia)?

Cheers




also posted on:  www.mobilestrategy.org
________________________________________________________
giovanni bertani   mobile vas consultant
exsense  italy 
   
Received on Mon Mar 22 01:06:38 2004