“Espoo, Finland – Nokia announced today that it has completed the transaction to outsource its Symbian software development and support activities to Accenture. The signing of the transaction was announced on June 22, 2011. As a result of the transaction, approximately 2,300 employees will transfer to Accenture.”

Read Full Press Release  at : - http://press.nokia.com/

The planned closure of the Cluj factory unit will impact approximately 2,200 employees. Further Nokia said, that they are planning to concentrate their Location & Commerce development efforts in Berlin, Boston, Chicago and other supporting sites, and plans to close their operations in Bonn, Germany and Malvern, US.  The will bring impact of approximately 1,300 employees. Although Nokia already said that they are working on support program to help re-employing the workers locally.

“We are seeing solid progress against our strategy, and with these planned changes we will emerge as a more dynamic, nimble and efficient challenger,” said Stephen Elop, Nokia President and CEO. “We must take painful, yet necessary, steps to align our workforce and operations with our path forward.”

For more information , read the full press release here :-  Nokia Press Release

“Symbian Anna significantly enhances the user experience on the Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01 and Nokia E7. A new user interface, virtual QWERTY keypad in portrait mode, split-screen messaging, enhanced Nokia Maps, better web browsing and stronger security are just a few of the improvements that people will be able to enjoy. Symbian Anna can be downloaded using the latest version of Ovi Suite (version 3.1.1) on a PC, or over-the-air directly to your smartphone**.”

Key features with Symbian Anna:

• User interface: Symbian Anna brings a fresh new look and feel to the Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01 and Nokia E7 with crisp icons and multiple usability enhancements. Typing on the touchscreen is much easier with a split screen, so you can see message threads, webpages, contacts or email view while typing on the virtual QWERTY keypad – now also available in portrait mode.
• Maps and navigation: Symbian Anna enhances Nokia Maps with better search functionality, new public transportation routes and the ability to check-in to favorite geo-social network sites like Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter
• Browsing: A faster, easier-to-use browser, delivering quicker page loads and improved device navigation allowing people to connect more easily to their favorite sites on the go.
• Better for business: Symbian Anna brings true business-grade security with improved data encryption on Nokia smartphones. Business users with a Nokia N8, Nokia C7, Nokia C6-01 or Nokia E7 can now easily and securely access their company intranet with IPSEC and SSL VPN enablers.
• Near Field Communications (NFC): The Symbian Anna software update also activates the NFC hardware in the Nokia C7, so people can now simply tap their Nokia C7s together to share contacts, photos, videos and play games; easily pair with NFC-enabled accessories from Nokia and others; and read NFC tags to check-in and more

Notes to editors:

Symbian Anna key features:

• Virtual portrait QWERTY for fast, one handed typing
• Split screen view while typing; so you can see message threads, webpages, contacts or email
• An easier to use and faster browser, delivering quicker page loads and improved navigation
• Refreshed Nokia Maps including simpler search, new public transportation routes and the ability to check-in to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare or local social networks
• A feature to share your location via email and SMS (even to non-Nokia phones)

Features for business users:

• Instant messaging and presence with Microsoft Communicator Mobile
• E-mail enhancements including full meeting request support
• True business grade security with hardware  accelerated encryption
• Easy and secure intranet access for business users who want to access their company intranet

Features for developers:

• Flashlite 4
• Java Runtime 2.2
• Qt Mobility 1.1
• Qt4.7

Video Overview of New Features:

-

How do I get it?

The Symbian Anna update will be available through Ovi Suite on the PC or the SW Update app on your phone. This is a large download, so for speed and reliability, the Ovi Suite method is best. We do not recommend that you attempt to update over-the-air unless you have a strong and reliable WiFi connection.

Where and when?

Countries that will receive their updates this week include the following:

Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, the UK, and more.

Other countries are mostly confirmed for the next three weeks.

Notes:

• The precise rollout schedule of the Symbian Anna software update varies from market to market.
• Method of delivery of the software update differs from market to market and operator to operator.

Visit www.nokia.com/symbiananna for more information.

[Via Conversations ]

The Symbian Anna upgrade gives you a set of new icons, a faster web browser, improved text input and enhanced maps. In other words, your phone will get a free make-over, giving you a better experience while remaining reliable and easy to use.

Symbian Anna Features:

• One of the most anticipated enhancements in Symbian Anna is split screen view while typing, so users can see their message thread. There is also virtual portrait QWERTY for quick, one handed typing. And the web browser is faster and easier to use, delivering quicker page loads and improved navigation.
• Ovi Maps has been refreshed with simpler and quicker search, new public transportation routes and check-in to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare or local social networks. You can also share places via email and SMS, even with friends using non-Nokia phones.
• Business users will benefit from instant messaging with Microsoft Communicator Mobile, email enhancements including full meeting request support, and true business grade security with hardware accelerated encryption. There is also easy and secure intranet access for people who want to get on their company intranet.
• The social client has been improved as well. Now you can see people’s status updates in their contact card, as well as retweet and view your follower list in Twitter.

At Nokia Connection, Nokia also restated its commitment to Symbian. Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop said in his keynote that over the next 12 months the company plans to bring up to 10 new Symbian-based smartphones to market.

[Via Nokia Conversations]

Nokia’s EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Jerri DeVard explains:

“We have made the decision to change our service branding from Ovi to Nokia. By centralizing our services identity under one brand, not two, we will reinforce the powerful master brand of Nokia and unify our brand architecture – while continuing to deliver compellingopportunities and experiences for partners and consumers alike.

The reasons for this decision includes the fact that Nokia is a well-known and highly-loved brand the world over. Our mobile experiences are tightly integrated with our devices – there is no longer a differentiation. For example, if consumers want the best mobile navigation experience, they know it’s a Nokia that they can rely on. These last few years, and moving forward, our mission remains unchanged: we will continue our work to deliver compelling, unified mobile service offerings and next-generation, disruptive technologies.”

So this is only a name-changing process, Nokia will continue to evolve exactly as planned roadmaps. The only difference consumers are going to experience is the replacement of the word Ovi with Nokia on all Ovi services like – Ovi Maps, Ovi Store, Ovi Mail etc. are going to be rebrand as Nokia Maps, Nokia Store, Nokia Mail – Wait, did we say Nokia Mail - well we are sure that Nokia do have something more for this service – We can’t all go about changing email id’s from @ovi.com to @nokia.com – that’s for staff.

Nokia is big brand and rebranding of Ovi services to Nokia will definatily going to give positive results. What do you guys think about this, let us know in your comments.

[Via Nokia Conversations]

“The collaboration, which is subject to final agreement, calls for Accenture to provide Symbian-based software development and support services, with the expected transition of about 3,000 Nokia employees to Accenture. The companies expect completion of the final agreement during summer 2011, and expect the transition of employees by the end of the calendar year 2011. Transitioning employees, located in China, Finland, India, United Kingdom and the United States, will initially work on Symbian software activities for Nokia. Over time, Accenture and Nokia will seek opportunities to retrain and redeploy transitioned employees.

This collaboration also includes plans for Accenture to provide mobility software, business and operational services around the Windows Phone platform to Nokia and other ecosystem participants. Under the proposed agreement, Accenture would become a preferred partner for Nokia’s smartphone development activities, as well as a preferred provider of services.”

Key points in Nokia’s third and fourth transformation steps:

• Approximately 3,000 employees are planned to transfer to Accenture to support the continued delivery of Symbian software development and support services.
• Reduce its global workforce by about 4,000 employees by the end of 2012 (out of approximately 65,000 worldwide, not including NSN) , with the majority of reductions in Denmark, Finland and the UK.
  
• The planned reductions will have the greatest impact on the Symbian and MeeGo R&D
  
• Consolidation of R&D sites so that each site has a clear strategic role and mission. That will  increase speed and accountability as Nokia ramps up capabilities and competence development on each site.
• Transformation at Nokia ramping up. Increasing capacity for the development of Nokia smartphones based on the Windows Phone platform, as well as increasing its overall investment in Mobile Phones and building a team to focus on future disruptions.
• Launching a comprehensive social responsibility program for employees and the communities that are likely to be affected by reductions. Nokia will invest time, money and expertise in a program to support re-employment in all the countries where the impact will be felt.

Read Full Press Release  at: - http://press.nokia.com/

[Via Nokia Conversations]

“Dalton Maag was asked by Nokia to design a font family primarily for use in digital media – mobile devices and the web – which would also be versatile enough to be the cornerstone for all of Nokia’s communications worldwide. The new font family had to reflect the traditions of Finnish design: simplicity, clarity, functionality, beauty of form – in short, Pure“

PureReversal from Build on Vimeo.

Bits from Nokia Conversations:

“ESPOO, Finland & REDMOND, USA - After 10 weeks of intense collaboration, we are pleased to report that Nokia and Microsoft have signed the definitive agreement for our strategic partnership to build a new global mobile ecosystem that is unlike any other. It’s a bold claim. But collectively we’ve moved from intent to agreement in such a short period. Actually, it’s even faster than we expected which makes this a perfect example of our commitment to our partnership and the speed at which we plan to move together.

As a result of our negotiations and discussions, we’ve aligned our teams and assets, and clearly see the potential to change the way people use their mobile devices for the better. Hundreds of our team members are already working together toward a multi-year product roadmap and are on-schedule to deliver volume shipments in 2012 although the pressure is on for first delivery in 2011. In the coming years we will aggressively work to take Nokia products using Windows Phone to new geographies, at new price points and sharing new experiences for customers around the world to enjoy.”

The relationship is structured around four broad areas:

1. A combination of complementary assets, which make the partnership truly unique, including:

• - Nokia to deliver mapping, navigation, and certain location-based services to the Windows Phone ecosystem. Nokia will build innovation on top of the Windows Phone platform in areas such as imaging, while contributing expertise on hardware design and language support, and helping to drive the development of the Windows Phone platform. Microsoft will provide Bing search services across the Nokia device portfolio as well as contributing strength in productivity, advertising, gaming, social media and a variety of other services. The combination of navigation with advertising and search will enable better monetization of Nokia’s navigation assets and completely new forms of advertising revenue.
• - Joint developer outreach and application sourcing, to support the creation of new local and global applications, including making Windows Phone developer registration free for all Nokia developers.
• - Opening a new Nokia-branded global application store that leverages the Windows Marketplace infrastructure. Developers will be able to publish and distribute applications through a single developer portal to hundreds of millions of consumers that use Windows Phone, Symbian and Series 40 devices.
• - Contribution of Nokia’s expertise in operator billing to ensure participants in the Windows Phone ecosystem can take advantage of Nokia’s billing agreements with 112 operators in 36 markets.

2. Microsoft will receive a running royalty from Nokia for the Windows Phone platform, starting when the first Nokia products incorporating Windows Phone ship. The royalty payments are competitive and reflect the large volumes that Nokia expects to ship, as well as a variety of other considerations related to engineering work to which both companies are committed. Microsoft delivering the Windows Phone platform to Nokia will enable Nokia to significantly reduce operating expenses.

3. In recognition of the unique nature of Nokia’s agreement with Microsoft and the contributions that Nokia is providing, Nokia will receive payments measured in the billions of dollars.

4. An agreement that recognizes the value of intellectual property and puts in place mechanisms for exchanging rights to intellectual property. Nokia will receive substantial payments under the agreement.

“Microsoft’s Tim McDowd chats with Nokia’s VP of Microsoft Alliance, Waldemar Sakalus, and Microsoft’s General Manager of Developer & Marketplace Experience, Matt Bencke, about Nokia and Microsoft signing a strategic alliance.”

Read Full Press Release Here :- http://press.nokia.com/nokia-and-microsoft

[Via Nokia conversations]