Re: Nokia follows in Novell's footprints ...
When I read that with WP7 Nokiasoft was going to "focus" on the wealthy 1st world markets (USA & EU) and with Symbian focus on poorer 2nd & 2rd world markets (India, Mid-East, South America, etc...) I was not aware that Nokia had been all but forgotten in the USA. A former Nokia engineer explains why he thinks that the "Americanization" of Nokia is at fault.
And, here is a blog about one volunteer's contributions to MeeGo/Maemo:
When I read that with WP7 Nokiasoft was going to "focus" on the wealthy 1st world markets (USA & EU) and with Symbian focus on poorer 2nd & 2rd world markets (India, Mid-East, South America, etc...) I was not aware that Nokia had been all but forgotten in the USA. A former Nokia engineer explains why he thinks that the "Americanization" of Nokia is at fault.
I have to believe some virtual machete-wielding accountant zoomed in on the obvious cost-benefit ratios of these ‘money-suckers’ and concluded they had to be cut. Surely no marketing executive worth his or her salt would have done so. Even if these operations lose money in their direct fiscal vicinity, they tend to have a wider, overall positive impact on the big bottom line. When done right, they generate goodwill that turns immediate beneficiaries into viral, voluntary marketing machines. The resultant word of mouth is incalculable… and extremely critical to success.
Read the reviews of the closed New York flagship store. Same for Chicago’s. Shutting them (and others) down was a slap in the face to loyal Nokia customers, especially those in the area of the US headquarters (in White Plains). It’s mystifying… particularly since competitor Apple continues to do the opposite of Nokia and open more.
But is this more an American or European tendency? Consider that Europe’s markets are more open and competitive. In my overseas travels and work-related activities I’ve witnessed this first-hand. Nokia prospers in open markets, and stumbles where artificial barriers (like FCC-managed wireless spectrum bidding and market gerrymandering) are the norm. Thus my take is that we would be seeing a much different picture from Nokia, even without significant (and in some areas admittedly necessary) corporate change, if the US enjoyed a more competitive mobile landscape.
My Conclusion
Granted this is just my amateur analysis and quite likely at odds with the thoughts of far more experienced experts.
Conventional wisdom has had it that Nokia could use a huge infusion of American thinking to break it free of prior constraints. But this assumption overlooks the fact that US-originated mobile successes like Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android are anomalies that have so far avoided the sort of traditional traps that have ensnared other American efforts. And don’t forget that Nokia gave us internationally-accepted GSM networks, while the US focused on the limited CDMA standard.
Adopting an American ‘gotta make this quarter‘ approach to business can produce compelling short-term results, but I find that to be at odds with Europe’s more long-range visions. I sincerely hope Nokia avoids this pitfall and digs deep to rediscover its cultural roots. The ones that made it a global success in the first place. That means reducing the common influences of the US, not cranking them up. Hopefully CEO Elop lets the Finns be Finns instead of warping them into… us.
Read the reviews of the closed New York flagship store. Same for Chicago’s. Shutting them (and others) down was a slap in the face to loyal Nokia customers, especially those in the area of the US headquarters (in White Plains). It’s mystifying… particularly since competitor Apple continues to do the opposite of Nokia and open more.
But is this more an American or European tendency? Consider that Europe’s markets are more open and competitive. In my overseas travels and work-related activities I’ve witnessed this first-hand. Nokia prospers in open markets, and stumbles where artificial barriers (like FCC-managed wireless spectrum bidding and market gerrymandering) are the norm. Thus my take is that we would be seeing a much different picture from Nokia, even without significant (and in some areas admittedly necessary) corporate change, if the US enjoyed a more competitive mobile landscape.
My Conclusion
Granted this is just my amateur analysis and quite likely at odds with the thoughts of far more experienced experts.
Conventional wisdom has had it that Nokia could use a huge infusion of American thinking to break it free of prior constraints. But this assumption overlooks the fact that US-originated mobile successes like Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android are anomalies that have so far avoided the sort of traditional traps that have ensnared other American efforts. And don’t forget that Nokia gave us internationally-accepted GSM networks, while the US focused on the limited CDMA standard.
Adopting an American ‘gotta make this quarter‘ approach to business can produce compelling short-term results, but I find that to be at odds with Europe’s more long-range visions. I sincerely hope Nokia avoids this pitfall and digs deep to rediscover its cultural roots. The ones that made it a global success in the first place. That means reducing the common influences of the US, not cranking them up. Hopefully CEO Elop lets the Finns be Finns instead of warping them into… us.
And, here is a blog about one volunteer's contributions to MeeGo/Maemo:
If MeeGo survives Nokia’s diminished attention, still under the auspices of the Linux Foundation, nothing really has to change with regards to my involvement. I’m running MeeGo 1.1 on my Intel-gifted ideapad, and mostly pleased. However, rumor now has it that the Netbook UX has lost Intel’s support. I don’t get that. And I’m also not sure what I do with the marketing materials I’ve been creating, as well as the local meetup groups I’m supporting. We’re looking for a strong signal from the Linux Foundation and especially Intel. Interestingly, I was informed before Nokia’s announcement that Intel is working on a MeeGo brand refresh, one that emphasized community more. That makes a great deal of sense now, and I’m looking forward to the results.
If MeeGo AND Maemo fizzle, that leaves me looking for a new hobby altogether. Supporting these communities has been a time-consuming, often nerve-wracking ordeal on one hand… but it’s also blessed me with a wealth of friends who would likely drift off to other endeavors and we might eventually lose touch. Not to mention the opportunities to travel to places, like Dublin and Amsterdam, I might not otherwise have ever enjoyed. Will it end, or are we perhaps looking at something else entirely– a reboot? A remix? A stronger, clearer, sharper commitment to open source solutions?
If MeeGo AND Maemo fizzle, that leaves me looking for a new hobby altogether. Supporting these communities has been a time-consuming, often nerve-wracking ordeal on one hand… but it’s also blessed me with a wealth of friends who would likely drift off to other endeavors and we might eventually lose touch. Not to mention the opportunities to travel to places, like Dublin and Amsterdam, I might not otherwise have ever enjoyed. Will it end, or are we perhaps looking at something else entirely– a reboot? A remix? A stronger, clearer, sharper commitment to open source solutions?
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