Nokia will ramp up its corporate wireless e-mail initiatives in Greater China, as more mainland companies deploy remote access and mobile computing systems for their workers.
The Finnish communications giant's enterprise solutions group will soon widen distribution of its E-series family of business devices and pursue closer collaboration with cellular network operators, systems integrators and value-added resellers on the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
'This is a pivotal year for us,' said David Petts, senior vice-president for sales, marketing and services at Nokia's enterprise solutions group. 'The success of Nokia has come predominantly from the consumer mobile phone market. We must now go after new areas of business and extend the strong relationships we have with the operators and other channel partners in the region.'
Nokia's timing appears to be spot on, following China Mobile's recent announcement to offer Canada-based Research In Motion's BlackBerry services and devices nationwide.
'Growing demand from mainland enterprises for continuous data access and communications-enabled efficiencies, combined with the supply of faster bandwidth anticipated from future 3G networks, will fuel further investments and innovations in the months ahead,' said Duncan Clark, managing director of research firm BDA China in Beijing.
Analyst firm International Data Corp has estimated the number of mobile workers will grow to more than 850 million worldwide in 2009 from about 650 million in 2004, with the largest percentage of that manpower located in the Asia-Pacific and Japan.
Nokia has already made a US$430 million bet to become a force in enterprise mobility, which was the amount it paid in February to acquire United States-based wireless messaging specialist Intellisync.