Nokia Looked To Silicon Valley For Research Edge

by Darren

Nokia had been able to make it to number one without having an R&D presence in Silicon Valley. But the company though that opening just such a center should help enhance their image, as well as improve their research capabilities. It appears that the company is happy with their goals one year later.

But to build on its success, said Bob Iannucci, a Nokia senior vice president, the multinational, whose sales exceed its top three rivals combined, has moved its nerve center for long-range research from Finland to Silicon Valley.

The opening of Nokia Research Center Palo Alto a year ago illustrates how the valley’s pre-eminence as an incubator of innovation has been enhanced by economic globalization, not diminished.

Nokia’s move also reflects how Silicon Valley, which once lagged in the cell phone field, has become a hub of smart-phone innovation as more features are packed into handsets to expand mobile Web capabilities. Apple’s iPhone made a splashy debut, while Palm and Hewlett-Packard keep pursuing market share. Google, meanwhile, is hitching onto the boom by developing a Linux-based mobile operating system dubbed Android.

Of course the company is making the move because of what’s going on in the rapidly advancing world of mobile networking. Smartphones are getting smarter every day, and the people using them are already plugged into social networks. The companies in Silicon Valley are researching ways to make phones more accessible for consumers, and Nokia has joined them.

The company has a number of research projects in the works now, including “Point&Find” which helps a consumer by providing information on landmarks. You point the phone at the building and the information concerning the project is displayed.

Expect more such developments as Nokia ramps up research, the Silicon Valley way.