14 DAY TRIAL // Espoo, Finland-based mobile phone maker Nokia is reported to plan not having a stand at the Mobile World Congress 2010, which is to take place in Barcelona. The company focuses only on Nokia Siemens Networks for the event; at least this is what it stated when asked about its objectives.
“Nokia is committed to Mobile World Congress, as it has been since the event started. In 2010 Mobile World Congress (MVC), Nokia will focus on its infrastructure business and the congress programme of seminars and speaking opportunities, customer and media activities. We have seen during the recent years that in Mobile World Congress we get the biggest benefit for the infrastructure part of our business. Therefore we will focus on this for 2010 and so Nokia Siemens Networks will continue to have a stand in the exhibition area,” was Nokia's response when asked about MWC by the guys over at unwiredview.
This might suggest that Nokia Siemens Networks will be present on the MWC floor, though nothing specific about the participation has been unveiled until now. In the end, it seems that Nokia won't exhibit at MWC 2010, at least this is what the news site suggests. To make sure, they've also contacted the MWC PR agency, and got a similar response from them.
“Nokia will not exhibit at next year’s Mobile World Congress. However Nokia remains committed to Mobile World Congress and to the GSMA. Overall, Nokia will continue to have a significant presence at Mobile World Congress, in terms of leveraging the event to conduct business meetings and networking, as well as participating in the conference programme. In terms of exhibition, Nokia’s strategy for the 2010 Mobile World Congress is to emphasize the infrastructure side of their business through Nokia Siemens Networks’ presence at the event. Nokia speakers are also expect to present in the conference programme at the Mobile World Congress.”
It is rather odd that the world's largest mobile phone maker does not plan on having a stand at one of the most important yearly technology conferences in the world, and the most important mobile event of each year. However, it remains to be seen what exactly the company plans on delivering at the conference, and what other industry players will bring on the MWC floor, since there are about three months left until then.