Nokia: Out of UC, In with Touch-Screen Phone

So, I received a note from Ovum Research with their take on the fact that Nokia is leaving the enterprise solution business, namely their IntelliSync unified communications play.

According to Senior Analyst, Claudio Castelli of Ovum:

Mobile unified communications involves high complexity and vendors should concentrate on their strengths instead of trying to provide end-to-end solutions. Nokia will no longer develop software solutions for enterprises. The company has recognized that it is unable to advance into the enterprise market as a standalone mobility solutions provider. Nokia will now concentrate its efforts on developing powerful user interfaces for its devices, which will be supported by its UC partners on their platforms- they include companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent. By focusing its efforts, Nokia will be able to exploit its main strength and is more likely to succeed.

The key devices in this space for Nokia are their E-series devices and the company will reportedly look to build on the successes of their E66 and E71 units.

Sad as it may seem to some, I think it makes a great deal of sense for a firm with Nokia's legacy of device creation -- and creativity -- to focus on that part of the ecosystem that they are really good at.

Relationships with the aforementioned companies, like Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent, and others will only bode well for the phone maker as chances are their handsets will be among the preferred devices that the mobile UC solution providers will offer their end users.

Speaking of Nokia devices, reports abound that Spain's Telefonica will be getting Nokia's new touch-screen phone before the end of the year. According to a report from Forbes:

A source familiar with Nokia's strategy told Forbes.com that Spain's Telefonica would offer the 5800 touch-screen phone when it starts shipping, sometime in the final months of 2008. This will be the second touch-screen victory for Telefonica this year, after it was picked as Apple's exclusive partner to launch the iPhone back in July.