Nokia says it will continue to invest in Symbian devices, although Windows Phone 7 will be the primary platform for smartphones.

Recently, Nokia entered into an alliance with Microsoft for making Windows Phone 7 operating system its platform of choice. “This alliance was made as part of our long-term strategy. This will improve consumer experience across social networking, e-commerce and applications. The finer details are still being finalised. However, we will continue to invest in Symbian – on maintenance, new models and features. We have an installed base of 200 million Symbian devices globally,” said Mr Viral Oza, Head – Activation, Media and Online Marketing, Nokia India, on the sidelines of the launch of Nokia E7, a smartphone operating on Symbian OS.

The alliance with Microsoft will help reinvent and renew Nokia as a brand and business, added Mr Oza.

Asked about possible job losses in India due to the MS alliance, Mr Oza said, “Any change in strategy of such nature will have a change in operations and ways of working. We have always had a record of ensuring positive employee experience. We will continue to ensure the respect of employees – whether they are impacted or not.”

For E7, Nokia has tied up with Vodafone to offer 2Gb data a month for free for six months, for both 3G and 2G customers. Priced at Rs 29,999, the smartphone comes preloaded with Mail for Exchange, IBM Lotus Notes Traveler, Ovi Maps and other apps.

The smartphone market is estimated at 6.3 million units in India and is slated to grow at a CAGR of 75 per cent and reach 38.5 million units by 2014.

India is one of the top 3 markets for Nokia, said Mr Oza. According to analyst reports, Nokia has a 60 per cent share in the mobile device market in the country.

Related Topics