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Susan Fourtané

Nokia & Microsoft Sponsor Mobile Apps Project in Europe

Written by Susan Fourtané
4/17/2012 40 comments
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Aalto University, Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK), and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) have joined forces to create the AppCampus program for app development.

The AppCampus was launched March 26 at the Aalto Centre for Entrepreneurship (AaltoACE) in Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland. Each of the participating companies plans to contribute €9 million ($12 million) over three years starting next month.

The program will focus on giving students and startups the tools, training, funding, and infrastructure to create great apps for the Windows phone ecosystem, as well as for all Nokia platforms, including the Series 40, Symbian, and HTLM5 languages.

Qualified projects from the StartUp Sauna and Summer of Startups will be encouraged to apply to the AppCampus for support. And it will not be limited to Finnish startups or developers. According to Will Cardwell, head of AaltoACE, this initiative is meant to be an extremely competitive international program attracting the best ideas from around the world. There are no restrictions on the location of applicants.

The grant application process for mobile entrepreneurs will start in May through the AppCampus Website. After approval, the first grants will be available at the end of June, and they will be renewed in monthly cycles.

After obtaining a grant, developers and teams will be asked to commit to six months of developing apps exclusively on the AppCampus platforms. The participants will retain the full intellectual property rights of their innovations. Cardwell said at a press event on March 26 that the first apps should be on the market by the first quarter of next year.

A lot of interaction is expected between the AppCampus and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology ICT, most specifically with its EIT ICT Labs.

The program is expected to produce enterprise apps. "It is fair to assume that healthcare, education, and energy are probably going to be in the mix," said Cardwell. "All Windows phones and Nokia software platforms are on the table."

The AppCampus could improve Nokia's position in the smartphone market. By adding good and varied apps, which seem to be what the the Nokia phones are lacking, the company increases the possibility of consumers choosing one of its phones as their next mobile phone purchase. The Helsinki Times reported on a recent survey in which 37 percent of respondents said their next mobile phone would be a Nokia.

However, it’s too soon to tell whether the AppCampus will help put Nokia back in place as a mobile phone world leader. But at least the project could give Nokia a competitive place among manufacturers. There may even be some advantage in the first six months of exclusivity that developers agree to respect when being accepted into the AppCampus program.

In September, Nokia World 2012 will be held for the first time in Finland instead of London. And it just might surprise us with great news in the mobile and tablet fronts. After all, Nokia plans to release Windows 8 tablets.

At the very least, the AppCampus program promises to produce a new generation of innovative mobile startups.

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— Susan Fourtané is a freelance journalist based in Finland.

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pcharles
IQ Crew
Saturday May 5, 2012 4:31:41 PM
no ratings

Susan,

I don't know if Mike's prediction is going to come to fruition BUT I hope it does. I am bias because I have one but the mobile OS has a lot potential to rival iOs (probably won't overtake them) but I have heard a ton of complaints regarding Android.

Mashka
Researcher
Friday May 4, 2012 4:16:10 PM
no ratings

If you come to  Moscow restaurants( well, in some you can leave around $1000 for a dinner) you may see a  lot of people holding phones in their hands- doing nothing, just showing them to everyone around:)

Mary Jander
Thinkernetter
Tuesday May 1, 2012 10:02:55 AM
no ratings

Kind of sad, Mashka. Perhaps, though, the iPhones these poor folk buy provide some fun and opportunity for them. I hope so.

Mashka
Researcher
Tuesday May 1, 2012 9:35:55 AM
no ratings

 

Wel, first of all I am an experienced traveller- I know the rates:)))  so I  am sure  about the currency exchange.

Speaking about rich Russians- I know,  some Russians spend enourmous money for shopping- well, The population of Russia is about 150 million people. And there is only 1 % of population is extremly rich( manmy people are still below poverty line) , but even 1 % of 150 000 000 is  still 1,5 million- I think, that are  exactly  those who  leaves $1000 tips and  can spend $5-10 000 to buy a dress.

Well,  low salaries is the reason  why people do no buy Iphones, however- Russia is a country where symbolic consumption is a trend. People  buy cheap replicas   of expensive watches  and chinese copies of Iphones, but, many people do their best to save money to buy expensive things.One student told me that she knows many people who almost starve but do everything to buy and Iphone or something like that

 

Susan Fourtané
Thinkernetter
Tuesday May 1, 2012 4:59:29 AM
no ratings

Indeed, Mary. Whatever it will happen interesting six months we have ahead, or maybe a little bit more, until the end of this year.

-Susan 

Mary Jander
Thinkernetter
Monday April 30, 2012 5:56:02 PM
no ratings

Well, at the very least, I believe we are seeing a market shakeout in mobile phones. The next six months will be significant in resetting the entire scene.

Susan Fourtané
Thinkernetter
Monday April 30, 2012 5:46:11 PM
no ratings

Not sure, Mary, but I do think something is up because otherwise there shouldn't be a reason why it declines to comment. 

-Susan 

Mary Jander
Thinkernetter
Monday April 30, 2012 5:25:18 PM
no ratings

Hmmm... If Nokia refusing to comment is a departure from past policy, then perhaps something's up, such as a financial transaction?

Strictly thinking out loud here, no basis in anything I've heard or read.

Susan Fourtané
Thinkernetter
Monday April 30, 2012 5:21:14 PM
no ratings

Thanks, Mary!

Interesting. What has started to bother me a little is that "Nokia declined to comment". They have been refusing to comment, answer questions or give any informormation other than what they publish. I wonder if this startegy is going to help them in any way. 

Nokia Snow 800 has been 2nd in sales in Finland, only after the iPhone 4S, which is first on the list of the top ten. But of course, this is not enough. 

-Susan 

Mary Jander
Thinkernetter
Monday April 30, 2012 4:41:03 PM
no ratings

One thing noted in the article I cited just below: One expert notes that Nokia has 30,000 patents worth between €5 billion and €10 billion. Interesting.

Patents appear to be part of any company's "managed demise."

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