14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia has just announced that it will transfer 3,000 of its employees to Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, to continue support and development for the Symbian mobile platform.
With more than 215,000 employees serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture is one of the several companies that has a rich history working with Nokia since 1994.
The move seems to be part of a larger plan that the company announced a few months ago, after it signed the partnership agreement with Microsoft that allows the Finnish handset manufacturer to build Windows Phone 7 smartphones.
Giving Accenture's lack of experience in developing mobile software and updates for Symbian operating system, the 3,000 Nokia employees that will be transferred by the Finnish giant in the near future are supposed to support the continued delivery of Symbian software development and support services.
“Mobility is a key area for Accenture,” said Marty Cole, group chief executive, Accenture Communications and High Tech group.
“One of our areas of focus is mobility software, where we provide engineering consulting and product development services to mobile phone manufacturers, chip manufacturers, and mobile operators worldwide. With the influx of highly qualified talent from Nokia, Accenture can help our clients rapidly leverage mobility to advance their business strategy.”
In addition, as part of the collaboration, Accenture is also permitted to develop mobile software, as well as business and operational services based on the Windows Phone platform, and provide Nokia and other partners of the handset maker with the results of its work.
For the Symbian users, the announcement is a reasurement of Nokia’s commitment to Symbian customers.
Furthermore, to reiterate its support for the aforementioned mobile platform, the manufacturer stated that it would deliver around 150 million Symbian devices in the coming years.