Editorial Features: Performing in Concert
By collaborating with Carl Zeiss, Adobe, HP, Kodak, and other leading brands, Nokia has elevated its Nokia Nseries multimedia devices to a level far above the ordinary.
Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's Executive Vice President and General Manager for Multimedia, says partnerships are key to the unique Nokia Nseries concept.
"We want to bring consumers the best possible multimedia experiences, be it through mobile TV, the Internet, photography, or music," says Vanjoki. "To achieve this goal we are collaborating with a number of leading brands that allow us to offer an experience beyond the physical product."
A Sharper Picture
The number one case in point is Nokia's agreement with Carl Zeiss, the world's leading producer of high-quality optics. Nokia has integrated optics from Carl Zeiss into the Nokia N90, allowing consumers to capture high-definition images that set new standards in camera-phone photography.
Nokia has also struck a deal with Adobe, which has included a starter edition of its Photo Album program in the Nokia Nseries sales package. Nokia Nseries owners can edit, share, and print captured images, and - thanks to Adobe's Mobile Video Editor software - they can also trim video clips.
After editing, Nokia Nseries users can go online to the EasyShare Gallery from Kodak (another of Nokia's collaboration partners) where they can publish, share, or order prints of captured images. Direct printing from Nokia Nseries devices is also possible, thanks to an agreement with HP that allows users to send images to Bluetooth-enabled printers.
Richer Experience
Nokia's collaboration agreements are about more than just imaging. Deals that expand the consumer's music, gaming, communication, and business options have also been struck.
A deal with Microsoft means Windows Media Audio (WMA) file formats are playable on the Nokia N91 mobile jukebox. This allows users to feed music to their handsets using the Windows Media Player on their PCs. Nokia has also made agreements with audio brands like Bose, Harman Kardon, JBL, and Sennheiser, making it easy to plug their high-quality audio accessories into the Nokia N91's 3.5mm jack.
As for Internet services, Nokia Nseries devices come with a built-in Yahoo! application that gives users easy access to email, instant messaging, ring tones, wallpapers, and downloadable games. Businesses can also benefit from Nokia's partnerships, with enterprise email solutions from four popular clients built into Nokia Nseries devices.
Vanjoki says affiliations of these kinds will continue to play an important role in enhancing the consumer's mobile experience. "Nokia is making so much more than mobile phones. They are really conduits for experiences," he says. "In order to further deepen the user experience we are continuously looking for new potential collaboration partners."
