NOKIA – Come-back kid, after its rise and fall!

NOKIA – come-back kid, after its rise and fall!?

Nokia, a 155+ year-old B2B Finnish technology company, sold to Microsoft in 2014 and to Hon Hai/Foxconn subsidiary and HMD Global in 2016, is laying out six trailblazing use cases for the metaverse in business from the industry to services.

Does this sound like the Nokia many of us knew from the familiar sound of its ringer to the unique shape and design? Not likely. Nokia was one of the most popular mobile telephone headsets in the late 90’s until the end of the 2000’s. Then, like many other devices, Apple introduced the iPhone and despite its efforts, Nokia lost share and the once well-known mobile phone company, practically vanished in the consumer market. But in a surprising comeback, Nokia reinvented itself to move back into the forefront but in a different capacity.

So, Nokia, once celebrated as a dominant force in mobile phone design and manufacturing, has recalibrated its focus to spearhead advancements in the B2B technology sector. How are they doing this?

Recognizing the accelerating pace of worldwide digitalization, Nokia has pivoted towards becoming a key player in the burgeoning Metaverse ecosystem. They believe that the essence of this digital transformation lies in evolving networks, especially as the transition from 5G to 6G emerges, and as technologies like augmented and virtual reality, digital twins, and biosensors begin to redefine our reality. The following six sections highlight the benefits of metaverse and how Nokia is involved.

Metaverse Tech Benefits

1. Product design and engineering

BMW is among several manufacturers adopting augmented reality (AR) for quicker product design. Holo-Light's Luis Bollinger, co-founder of an XR streaming company aiding BMW's 3D graphic work, notes that their Augmented Reality Engineering Space (AR3S) facilitates collaborative visualization and interaction with 3D CAD models. Notably, this approach cuts costs by reducing physical prototype building, enabling early design assessment, remote collaboration, and repeated use without wear and tear of physical prototypes.

2. Hands-on training

A prominent and broadly applicable use of metaverse tech is training. Virtual reality (VR), especially, enables remote collaboration for training without travel expenses and disruptions. Nokia embraced this approach in 2021, a VR training realm resembling a 3D game engine, seeing VR as a seamless evolution from video conferencing with the Nokia Learning Space in an interactive room where an instructor facilitates learning. Unlike one-way video training, VR offers hands-on learning revealing the invisible. For instance, in VR/AR, radio waves from a 5G base station, usually unseen, become visible. This enhances comprehension of capabilities like antenna beamforming.

3. Surgery planning and support

In August 2022, a remarkable VR-guided operation successfully separated conjoined twins Bernardo and Arthur Lima, showcasing metaverse technology's healthcare potential. Though remote surgery is a future prospect, surgery-oriented VR and AR solutions are proving their worth in actual surgeries. Enhatch's AI software transforms 2D scans into 3D objects for training. VR offers a virtual training room, while AR holds promise for real-time surgery as regulations allow. Overlaying virtual images on real body parts aids surgeons in executing planned incisions and movements.

4. Employee onboarding

Metaverse technology finds another pandemic-driven application in employee onboarding. As teams become more dispersed, integrating new hires becomes a challenge. VR is seen as a solution for fostering connections across global teams with immersive experiences, beyond standard video conferencing. Unlike desktop video calls, the immersive experience employs VR headsets, presenting avatars and lifelike holograms of participants, complete with expressions and movement. As 5G-Advanced networks expand, 3D holograms can be projected onto AR glasses, enhancing the sense of shared physical presence.

5. Virtual services for hands-on work

AR holds a potent application in offering virtual guidance for intricate, unfamiliar tasks like those of rescue workers, field technicians, and firefighters. Virtual overlays furnish essential insights, focus points, and task completion guidance. For instance, Bosch designed an AR app aiding after-market workshops in vehicle maintenance. This includes tasks like recalibrating driver assistance sensors post windshield replacement, predicting such guided aid could trim task duration by up to 15%.

6. Networking, socializing, and creating

The pandemic highlighted that work holds more significance than mere tasks. The absence of workplace social interactions underscored this. Can the metaverse enhance work-related socializing? Metaverse's sustainability and networking benefits are emphasized. Online keynotes replace long flights, with no environmental impact or audience limitations.

In summary, Nokia is a great example of a company that reinvented itself to take advantage of new networking technology, the metaverse, and more. It will be interesting to follow its progress and see if it can be truly crowned the comeback kid!

Credits: Nokia. To read the full referenced article, go to?https://t.ly/pu35Y

Some history about Nokia:

In 2014, Microsoft finalized acquiring Nokia's smartphone business, aiming to invigorate the Windows Phone division. The decision posed an early test for CEO Satya Nadella, dealing with its aftermath from Steve Ballmer's era. Eventually, Microsoft reversed the move, shedding the smartphone business, jobs, and incurring a $7.6 billion charge. In 2016, Microsoft sold the Nokia smartphone business for $350 million to a Hon Hai/Foxconn subsidiary and HMD Global, led by former Nokia and Microsoft mobile executives. HMD exclusively uses the Nokia brand for phones and tablets. Nokia now centers on network equipment, software, and services for communications providers and enterprises. It focused on 5G planning, partnering with T-Mobile in 2018 for a $3.5 billion venture expediting next-gen wireless tech deployment.