Nokia creates ecosystem for bringing mobility solutions to businesses

Flexible, modular program lets channel partners leverage expertise, invest at own pace in new competency areas

October 05, 2006 - New York, NY, USA and Milan, Italy - Nokia (NYSE:NOK), a world leader in mobile communications, today announces its Nokia for Business Channel Program designed to accelerate the widespread adoption of business mobility. The integrated program aims to create the industry’s most complete channel ecosystem for the design, deployment, sale and support of security and open mobility solutions worldwide, helping to realize the Nokia vision of connecting people on any device, over any network, to any corporate application or data source.

“A complete channel ecosystem has been the missing link in the business mobility value chain,” said Mary McDowell, executive vice president and general manager, Enterprise Solutions, Nokia. “By bringing together a universe of leading channel and operator partners, we can unlock the true potential of business mobility - for Nokia, for our partners and, above all, for businesses.”

The Nokia for Business Channel Program is simple yet comprehensive, encompassing the entire Nokia for Business portfolio into a single program framework. The program features two levels:

- Authorized
- Expert

Each level incorporates three separate technology tracks:

- Mobility
- Security
- Voice

Partners may, and are encouraged to, participate in multiple technology tracks, deepening their core expertise and extending their competencies to new technology areas. Current channel partners, such as those in the Nokia Security and Mobile Connectivity program, now have the opportunity, resources and incentives to broaden their scope to include additional technologies from the Nokia for Business portfolio if they so choose.

All Nokia for Business Authorized and Expert Partners are authorized to resell Nokia Eseries business devices and are eligible for financial incentives. In addition, Mobility track partners are licensed to sell Intellisync Mobile Suite from Nokia and other software that enables mobile applications such as device management. Security track partners are licensed to sell Nokia IP Security solutions, which feature firewall/VPN, IPSec and SSL VPN, unified threat management and intrusion prevention. Voice track partners are licensed to sell Nokia enterprise voice solutions. Specific product access depends on partner level, technology track, and meeting the related business criteria and certification requirements. Channel partners will obtain products from Nokia for Business Authorized Distributors, ensuring the highest efficiency in product availability and delivery.

“Mobile devices are becoming a core part of enterprise infrastructure, driven by the rapid adoption of wireless email solutions,” said Steve Brazier, president and CEO, Canalys. “This trend has been driven by individual user demand, leaving CIOs with new challenges relating to security, manageability, standards and tariffs. By encouraging the development of an integrated channel ecosystem, Nokia will help break down this critical barrier, which should provide further catalyst for the widespread deployment of enterprise mobility. The new Nokia program is focused on rewarding partners for their investments in competency development and solution selling, which is precisely where we believe vendor channel programs should focus in order to support the channel and ultimately ensure business customers get the experience they deserve.”

The Nokia for Business Channel Program offers a range of benefits to accredited partners, with an emphasis on value selling and solutions expertise. Financial benefits are tied to each partner level and technology track, in recognition of the fact that some markets and technologies are at an early stage of development and require “market making” investments. Nokia will reinforce this by focusing its own Enterprise Solutions sales force on “high touch” demand generation activities geared toward driving innovation in business mobility. Fulfillment for this activity will be driven entirely through the channel and operators, ensuring there is no conflict between Nokia and its partners.

“Nokia recognizes the importance of developing a business channel - a network of partners with the ear of today’s corporations, intimately acquainted with their security, mobility and collaboration needs,” said David Petts, senior vice president, Enterprise Solutions Sales, Marketing and Services, Nokia. “We’re serious about our commitment to our partners today and for the long term, and our program has been designed to reflect that. Incentives will reward partners for investments in training and for value creation, not just for revenue generation.”

The Nokia for Business Channel Program offers additional benefits such as access to pre-sales technical support, assigned account managers, marketing support, and access to a knowledgebase for ongoing support. A new Web portal for Authorized and Expert partners will provide access to marketing materials and allow partners to easily track personnel training, market development funds and accrued rebates.

The need for a mobile IT ecosystem is driven by enterprises, whose “prosumers” and knowledge workers are demanding the technology and tools to collaborate and be productive anytime, anywhere. These users are creating a bottom-up IT evolution. That dynamic, in turn, is shifting IT priorities, with IT managers now taking greater control of mobility in the workplace. Likewise, business decision makers realize that business processes must also be transformed in order to remain competitive. Nokia has put all of the pieces in place to meet the needs of the prosumer, the IT manager, and the business decision maker - and now has created its partner program as a way to give businesses a way to do this through their preferred and trusted channel.

“At the grassroots level, user by user, the enterprise has already gone mobile,” said McDowell. “Today we have an unprecedented opportunity to help businesses transform ad hoc mobility into a compelling competitive advantage.”

As part of the Nokia for Business Channel Program, Nokia offers high quality training and certification, which is integrated into the program accreditation requirements. Training is available in a variety of formats, including instructor-led courses via Nokia Authorized Training Providers; anywhere, anytime on-line courses; self-paced learning modules; online exams; on-the-job experience; and self-learning with job aides and resources. The completion of Nokia courses is not a prerequisite to attaining certification, as individuals with expertise acquired through experience may opt to “test out” to receive certification.

Detailed program information and registration details are available online at www.nokiaforbusiness.com/channel. The program goes into full effect beginning Jan. 1, 2007, but companies are encouraged to register now to begin accruing benefits and meeting accreditation requirements.


About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. www.nokia.com

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