Nokia always struck me as the Toyota of mobile phones. Their popularity has much to do with affordability which translates to mass market appeal. They have penetrated all device markets from low end phones to smart phones to high end hand held computers. This strategy was hinged on the existence of multiple operating systems designed for different device markets; for instance Symbian S40 was for the mid range market while Symbian S60 3rd edition catered for smart phones. All the while small doses of innovative add-ons were distributed to multiple devices allowing developers to cater for multiple markets and consequently gain a larger market share.
Allow me to expound - take for instance a Symbian S40 device going for Kshs.9500 shipping with Adobe FlashLite Player 3.0. Basically this means that a developer can package and distribute rich mobile applications across the board, catering for consumers with mid range phones all the way to high end devices. Here go a larger market share, added motivation to develop for Nokia, and business sense in the way of allocating resources to a popular device enjoying rapid acceptance which translates to revenue streams. It is important to note that in Kenya, rich mobile applications may be the future but they are in need of evangelism, they must be demystified and customized. Rich mobile applications and mobile experiences hold great promise, but device proliferation governs their rate of success and acceptance. Symbian on Nokia was in many ways an innovative approach towards gifting end users affordable mobile phones capable of rendering rich mobile applications.
The Windows Mobile OS has always been a premium offering running on high end devices even though we did witness an excursion of sorts (more like an experiment really), of Windows Mobile into the smart phone arena. Windows Mobile 7 is not holding any punches on pricing as all demos and device releases are indeed premium offerings on high end devices. This isn’t to say that Windows Mobile cannot be released in flavors favorable to mid range or even low end devices, but this definitely wasn’t their launch strategy. Secondly remember Windows Mobile isn’t a device specific OS thus it will run on other devices competing with Nokia. I need not have a Nokia to enjoy Windows Mobile, but consider the somewhat baffling flip side of the coin as one didn’t need a Nokia to enjoy Symbian as there were a number of non Nokia devices shipping with Symbian. Not only did Nokia have a stable OS, with a galaxy of developers across the world and especially in developing countries where they enjoy an impressive market share, they also impressed this OS upon other device manufacturers. This would be the right strategy to take on Android, and other competing mobile operating systems while promoting Symbian to multiple devices including tablet PCs.
Suppose we consider OS splintering, the existence of multiple versions of an operating system for multiple devices, case in point the multiple Symbian versions currently in existence. Windows Mobile can then be perceived as an effort in unification, thus improvements resonate across the board, pretty much like setting standards especially for developers, and easing the headache of choice for end users. Suppose again that you the reader are an executive at LG heading the mobile devices department. Nokia will definitely release a suite of software products which shall be embedded in Windows Mobile. These products should probably call attention toward the Nokia brand announcing them either as proprietary or at least Nokia’s bold efforts towards user experience and OS superiority, all the while Windows Mobile is not device specific thus we move to a scenario where software ships with device specifications as opposed to devices shipping with software specifications. Will LG ship their phones with Nokia’s software, or will they develop their own version of Windows Mobile with their proprietary suite of software products? I gather Android has covered so much ground in such a short time because of device neutrality and the obvious logic which follows – device manufacturers need not fear a software developer. Now when the software developer teams up with a competing device manufacturer ...
There are so many Nokia phones in circulation and in stock awaiting purchase so one must ask about future support for the OS as well as enhancements like software patches, updates, new games, new applications etc. The typical end user who spends Kshs.40, 000 on a Nokia N8 isn't exactly looking to purchase a new phone anytime soon yet just like that, Mr. Elop wakes up one fine morning and announces that all current Nokia phones will pretty much be useless in two years time.
As a developer I most probably need to familiarize myself with new APIs as well as new programming and GUI design approaches, perhaps I will be forced to halt circulation of Alcove Media's existing mobile applications which haven't yet achieved any ROI. All the while Stephen Elop maintains that Symbian developers should just up and forsake a working environment which held so much promise and which enjoyed mass appeal. That all the research, development, testing, implementation, marketing strategies, campaigns, the time and effort we dedicated to Nokia's Symbian platform ... all that according to Mr. Elop was a complete waste of time and money.
Nokia’s decision to partner with Microsoft may someday prove visionary and right, but business is governed by logic and not faith and I see no logic in their strategy. This decision is of course a function of so many corporate variables hidden from the public but it remains injurious to developers and current Nokia users. Android is already making headway in the African market and will undoubtedly continue releasing cheaper phones, devoid of OS splintering, embedded with capabilities bound to support rich applications (forget FlashLite, Android 2.2 ships with Flash Player 10.1). Further to this Android, RIM and the already impressive WebOS by HP will not be on vacation while Nokia and Microsoft reinvent the wheel. So then maybe we shall revisit this blog entry in 2013 via our Android phones and try to jog our memories, inquisitive of who or what Nokia is, or I shall eat crow and humbly congratulate Mr. Elop on his genius and success at Nokia. Only time will tell.
Thank you for your time.
