14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo was present at the International 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, where he talked about the great deal of opportunities that mobile communications were opening for economies, businesses and more. At the same time, he also talked about the opportunities that the handset vendor had in a series of emerging markets around the world, and said that Nokia was aiming at doing good, through helping people improve their lives.
“Mobile communications have played a big role in bringing hope and higher living standards to literally billions of people,” Kallasvuo said during a keynote speech on Friday. “The trend promises to accelerate in the coming decade, as the power and capabilities of smartphones spread across the globe.” Moreover, he also stressed the importance of mobile phones in people's lives. “For the majority of the world's people, their first and only access to the Internet will be through a mobile device - not a PC. And this access is spreading very, very fast.”
According to Nokia's CEO, innovators around the world can join the company in its efforts to do good and to accelerate growth in emerging markets. The Finnish handset vendor has unveiled a USD 1-million investment aimed at encouraging developers to drive innovation to these areas, called the USD 1 million Nokia Growth Economy Venture Challenge. “We've seen what the tech community can do when it focuses on problems that are also opportunities. We want to channel that energy toward improving lives in the developing world,” Kallasvuo said.
According to him, the company's Ovi Mail email service, which is already available in most markets around the world, has seen a number of five million subscribers in the first year only. He also pointed out that each market had to be understood the way it was, especially given the importance mobility was gaining around the world. “In China, every month more than 7 million people gain access to the Internet for the first time, and mostly on mobile devices. This trend shows no signs of slowing. The mobile device has become a necessity for upward mobility,” he stated.
See this press release for more details.