Nokia outlines plans for the future

Nokia has set out plans to expand its channel in the UK and Europe

Nokia has detailed its strategy for the coming year and intends to invest heavily in its channel partners.

The company has set out a five-point plan, the first of which is to develop stronger channel and customer relationships.

This will include recruitment and training of more resellers with knowledge of the mobile market, and the recruitment of a small direct sales team for big name clients.

"Expanding the channel is a big area for us and we're spending on it," said Tom Farrell, director of strategy and business developments for enterprise solutions at Nokia.

"In some ways getting the right channel in place is as important as getting the right devices. We're looking to expand the channel in the UK and Europe."

The device portfolio will also be beefed up with more releases in the E Series smartphone category. The company has set itself a goal of outpacing the average rate of mobile phone sales.

More and more phones will have mobile email built in, as part of the third leg of the strategy is to get more people using mobile applications.

Other moves in this area include setting up an easy to use download portal that will enable all users to choose and install applications more easily.

The fourth key area is security. Nokia is already the number two mobile firewall vendor, and is looking to diversify its security application portfolio to offer more protection, particularly for enterprises.

Finally, Nokia's services will be improved with the launch of a professional services practice. The company is also set to enhance the level of services it already has for hardware and technical support.

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