Nokia revamps enterprise line-up

Nokia plans to introduce two new smartphones and a range of business accessories and network security products in an attempt to make its enterprise solutions division profitable by the end of 2005.

Susan Macke, vice president of enterprise solutions at Nokia, told delegates at the firm's Connections 2004 summit in Helsinki that businesses face a challenge to integrate individual user mobile devices with corporate networks.

"Imagine workers bringing PCs into the enterprise from home with lots of different programs and applications," she said.

"That is what is happening with mobile devices. And with a variety of devices, networks and applications I can see why there are less enterprises than expected looking at mobility solutions today."

Macke explained that open operating platforms like Symbian were vital, and called on the handset industry to embrace and work with software vendors to make existing business tools more useable beyond the corporate firewall.

Nokia also launched Secure Access System 2.0, a new version of its SSL IP VPN remote access product, designed to bring new configuration replication and single sign-on tools to enterprise users.

The manufacturer claims that the system brings greater access availability by using a virtual remote redundancy protocol to ensure that a second appliance takes over automatically should the original fail.

Like rival products, it also provides security features to adjust access privileges depending on user identity and device, and 'session persistence' which allows users to resume work without losing data if the session times out.

Nokia also launched a new 3G and mid-range smartphone and a foldable wireless keyboard to extend its presence in the business space.

The 6630 3G megapixel smartphone, based on the Symbian Series 60 operating platform, offers business users access to email and attachments at speeds of 384Kbps.

But users will have to wait until the end of the year to buy the €500 handset, which can receive email alerts and send documents at speeds of 126Kbps.

Nokia's mid-range 6260 smartphone, expected to go on sale for €400 in the autumn, also adds push-to-talk technology and uses the Series 60 OS to offer presentation and document viewer technologies.

The keyboard, which offers full QWERTY compatibility for Symbian based Nokia phones including the 7610, 6630 and 6260, is expected to ship in late 2004 at a price of €135.