Mobile Phone Industry News

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Nokia launches a range of new multivendor solutions

Nokia launches a range of new Operations Support System tools for mobile operators as part of its Nokia NetActTM portfolio at the TeleManagement World conference (TMW). These tools combined with Nokia's expert services for operators, underline Nokia's commitment to multivendor solutions and mobile network and service management efficiency.

Specifically addressing the need for multivendor solutions, Nokia NetActTM Traffica for multi-vendor Core is a tool that offers visibility to traffic over all circuit and packet switched networks regardless of the network equipment vendor. This tool offers operators higher service quality, faster customer complaint resolution and increased visibility to subscriber and service behaviour; all in real-time.

In addition, Nokia NetActTM Intelligent Service Configurator, Nokia NetActTM Optimal Planner and Nokia NetActTM Service Optimizer highlight Nokia's commitment to efficient network operations through maximum re-use of existing resources targeting lower operating costs and speeding up the service launch.

"Operators are increasingly looking for solutions to get more from their networks. Operators are seeking ways to run their networks more efficiently - managing many technologies at once. We trust that with our operational and end-to-end mobile expertise, we can greatly support operators, enabling them to offer high quality mobile services in a cost-efficient way to their customers," says Jyrki Holmala, Vice President & General Manager, Nokia Operations Solutions, Networks, Nokia.

"This support ranges from Nokia NetAct tools to our commitment and experience in providing expert optimizing, operating, advisory, development and benchmarking services also as a managed service provider," he adds.

Nokia will also be giving demonstrations at the OSS through JavaTM initiative's stand reinforcing its dedication to the initiative and open standards.

As Nokia helps operators to get more from mobile networks and services, it can draw on its over 15-year track record of deploying and operating networks and its extensive practical experience of implementing mobile services for the operators. Nokia has contracted operating services for 19 operators globally, in addition to providing full turnkey implementations for a total of 24 operators. The NetActTM framework, the unique Nokia network and service management system, has been delivered to over 300 customers worldwide.

Siemens to invest one billion euros in China in near-term

German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG plans to pump another one billion euros into China as it moves to take advantage of growth opportunities in the world's fastest growing economy.

The company, which has already invested more than 5.4 billion euros in China in a range of joint ventures such as mobile handsets, energy and transport, plans to double its number of regional offices to 60 from 28. The move is part of its plan to ramp up China sales from four billion euros last year.

"We see good chances of doubling today's sales volume in the next three to five years," Siemens chief executive Heinrich von Pierer said in a statement marking the company's 100th anniversary in China.

The group's mobile phone unit, IC Mobile, plans to increase mobile handset production at its Shanghai base to 20 million units annually this year from 14 million last year, the statement said. Von Pierer forecast the China market would grow at about 10 percent a year and said the company's restructuring of its operations around six defined segments should generate added business volume "in the mid-triple digit millions" in the next three years.

He further expects China to play an increasingly important role in Siemens' global purchasing activities, aiming to triple purchasing volume from the country to nearly five billion euros by next year.

Some 100 million euros of the planned one billion euro investment will go towards building a new headquarters for the company in Beijing, the statement said.

As part of its attempts to boost its presence in China's mobile handset market, the largest in the world, Siemens announced earlier this month it had entered into a strategic partnership with Ningbo Bird Co Ltd, one of China's biggest handset makers.

Siemens will sell its mobile phones in the Chinese company's 30,000 shops nationwide. At the same time, the engineering giant is jointly developing China's home-grown third-generation mobile technology standard, TD-SCDMA, with state-owned Datang Telecommunications.

In February this year, Siemens said it was forming a 100 million dollar joint venture with Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, one of China's main telecom equipment firms, to jointly promote the 3G standard.

Ericsson to make UK reseller substitutions

Ericsson Enterprise has been forced to reshuffle its UK channel after one of its two large direct-buying VARs decided to reduce its focus on the vendor.

Logicalis, formerly Logical, has gone through management changes in recent months and has said it is now looking to focus on other areas, away from Ericsson.

"We have an ongoing relationship but felt our focus has changed. It was decided (we should) place our core emphasis on other things," said Ian Cook, European group managing director at Logicalis. "We have decided mutually with Ericsson that we will not go forward as a Sales Partner."

Cook added that the firm will continue to support its Ericsson installed base but will not buy direct from the vendor.

Fredrick Boone, director of marketing at Ericsson, confirmed that the relationship with Logicalis will continue, but said the relationship has changed. He declined to comment further.

Ericsson's UK channel is made up of Nimans as a distribution Sales Partner, supplying about 25 resellers, and Logicalis and Damovo as reseller Sales Partners with direct relationships.

Industry sources have claimed the vendor is on the verge of signing a new reseller as a direct-buying Sales Partner. Recently re-launched Premises Networks is hotly tipped to take this mantle. With change imminent, Ericsson's recent decision to appoint a dedicated UK channel head comes at a good time. Andy Starnes has joined the vendor as channel director UK and Ireland, charged with improving relations with and increasing sales through the channel.

Paul Rennuci, managing director of Damovo, said it is good that the vendor is pushing more resources into the UK channel. "This will create more awareness and lead generation," he said. "Ericsson's product road map has improved and it has re-invested in its enterprise business, which is good news for its large installed base."

Britain forecast to be broadband trailblazer

The UK will become a world leader in the rollout of high-speed internet services, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

After years of lagging behind other countries in terms of both availability and take-up, Britain now looks like a trailblazer, at least in terms of coverage.

DSL will be available on 95 per cent of UK telephone lines by the end of this year, according to the OECD's report. No other major industrialised nation is expected to boast such high availability. This percentage is only expected to be matched by Finland, and bettered by Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland.

The OECD's figures are largely based on projections for the rollout of BT's ADSL network, which is nearing 90 per cent availability at present. BT expects to reach 99 per cent coverage by the end of 2005, and the OECD's report claims that no other country will equal this.

The OECD's findings could cause glasses to be raised in Westminster. The government has set itself the goal of making Britain the most "extensive and competitive" broadband market of all the countries in the G7 by 2005.

A few years ago, it seemed very unlikely that the UK would reach this target. In 2000, DSL was available over just 50 per cent of lines, compared to 60 per cent for Germany and 69 per cent for Canada - both fellow members of the G7. Last year, the UK rose to third place for competitiveness, but languished in fifth place 'extensiveness', which is calculated on the basis of coverage and competition from rival services like unmetered narrowband services.

The OECD's figures suggest that the government's goal might yet be achieved.

BT was quick to crow over OECD's findings, which chief broadband officer Alison Ritchie said was "great news for UK plc as well as for BT, other broadband companies, government and local partnership initiatives, and customers".

"The challenge now is to drive the take-up of broadband. The UK is already a world leader in narrowband internet but the time has come for it to move up the league table for broadband as well. The growth in adoption rates is very encouraging but there is plenty more to be done" said Ritchie.