26 February 2017Barcelona, Spain - Nokia today outlined how the rapid execution of its new strategy is delivering industry-leading innovation for communication service providers in network speed, agility and efficiency, while broadening the companys footprint in faster-growing areas including software and the utilities and transport markets.
On the eve of Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Nokias launches of solutions covering 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), software and cloud underscored the breadth and strength of a product portfolio bolstered by the acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent in 2016.
Nokia comes to Mobile World Congress this year with a bigger and fully end-to-end portfolio to sell, and with groundbreaking innovations to share, Nokia President and CEO Rajeev Suri said.
All of this is underpinned by an organization squarely focused on the execution of our strategy to lead in high-performance networks with communication service providers, expand to new verticals, build a strong standalone software business and create new business and licensing opportunities in the consumer ecosystem, he said.
New products like 5G FIRST, announced today at the companys press and analyst event in Barcelona, show Nokias innovation strength to deliver differentiated products that connect not only millions of users but interconnect billions of things to create what Nokia calls the global nervous system, Suri added.
Showing the way in 5G and IoT
5G FIRST, the industrys first commercial 5G product and comprised of Nokias AirScale radio access platform, helps customers prepare for 5G-ready architectures that cover core, software-defined networking, cloud and more. Nokia and Intel will collaborate on commercial deployments later in 2017 using the Intel 5G Modem. 5G FIRST cements Nokias strong position with communication service providers, helping them transition to new applications that will benefit from the low-latency and high data rates offered by 5G.
Reflecting those transition efforts, Suri announced at the press and analyst event that Nokia had won a three-year contract from Telefonica to boost the performance of its 4G network in London as data demand grows. The deal includes Nokia 4.5G Pro technology, powered by the Nokia AirScale Radio Access portfolio, Nokia Flexi Zone small cells, the Nokia NetAct network management system, Nokia Traffica real-time network analytics and Nokia Global Services.
Nokias recent launch of WING, the worldwide IoT network grid, is aimed at providing a full-service model offering IoT connectivity across different technologies to manage a clients IoT connectivity needs and assets, such as connected cars, as they move around the globe. It follows the launch of a new wireless router to bring electricity distribution networks into the IoT era and help utilities reliably and securely connect and manage the proliferation of field devices as more smart power grids are deployed.
Those efforts show how Nokia is expanding into vertical markets like energy, transportation, public safety and Webscales (big Internet companies). Furthering the momentum in the vertical space, Suri cited a contract win with Infraestruturas de Portugal to provide a mission-critical communications network to the countrys national railway infrastructure operator; a high-speed fiber optic network win with Xiaomi; and a demonstration with Qualcomm and GE of a private LTE network for the Industrial Internet of Things market.
Momentum in Cloud, software, and licensing
Nokias recently launched Cloud Packet Core enables fixed and wireless technologies to be used together or individually to drive ultra-broadband and IoT service delivery in multiple verticals, including enterprise. Nokia has also enhanced its Intelligent Management Platform for All Connected Things platform, or IMPACT, with new IoT features such as video analytics.
The improved offering highlights Nokias progress in delivering on its third strategic focus area of building a strong standalone software business and taking its largely network-agnostic software assets beyond mobile customers and into fixed, cable, and new vertical markets. Earlier this month, Nokia announced plans to buy Comptel to boost its software portfolio and go-to-market capabilities.
At MWC Nokia will demonstrate recently acquired Deepfield analytics technology, which further bolsters its software offering to communication service providers, cable operators, cloud, Webscales and technological extra-large enterprises. Using automation, Deepfield technology can identify and track around 30 000 popular cloud applications and services to help networks quickly adapt to changes in application demand and traffic patterns.
Nokias efforts to create new business and licensing opportunities in the consumer space - the fourth pillar of its refreshed strategy - are also leading to fresh and important developments. HMD Global, Nokias exclusive brand licensee for phones and tablets, will be making announcements later today.
Nokia at MWC
Nokias presence at MWC involves the launch of 22 products and services, along with over 60 product and service demonstrations at the Nokia Experience Center in Hall 3, stand 3A10. The demonstrations include several related to 5G, some involving racecars and robots. Nokia and China Mobile, the worlds biggest mobile operator by subscribers, will have a joint demo of tele-health services and show how 5G products and services can be integrated in different vertical industries.
Nokia will also give its perspective on a variety of important issues, including a keynote speech by Suri on enabling the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Nokia Chief Strategy Officer Kathrin Buvac will discuss the path from 4G to 5G; and Marcus Weldon, President of Nokia Bell Labs and Corporate Chief Technology Officer, will discuss the future of technology and how
