Nokia sees returns from services in 2010

“We're going to continue to invest at that rate or more as we are in investment mode in 2008 and 2009. We look for 2010 to start to see where you go from investment mode ... to getting more out than you're putting in,” Simonson told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in New York.

Services represented only about €84 million revenue ($130 million) for Nokia in the first quarter out of total company net sales of €12.66 billion.

“We've got to get somewhere into the billions in terms of top line revenue to make this relevant,” Simonson said, referring to the services business.

Asked about Nokia's appetite for acquisitions, Simonson declined to give specific plans but said that software and services was where the company was focused as it already has a strong mobile devices business.

The executive also said Nokia, which leads the global phone market with a 40% share, was looking to profitably improve market share on a phone volume and value basis in the global phone market in 2008.

But while the company has done well globally, its market share in North America dropped to 9% at the end of 2007, a year when US market leader Motorola Inc struggled hugely.

Nokia hopes it can reverse its US fortunes with custom-designed phones for US operators such as AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc.

“We have to have double-digit market share to be relevant in the US,” Simonson said, adding that he expects this to happen by the second quarter of 2009.

“Anything short of that would not be a success,” he said.

While Simonson declined to give an update on how economic conditions were impacting consumer demand, he said growth was strong for high-end phones and for low-end phones used by first-time subscribers in emerging markets.

Simonson also said high-end phones that support everything from e-mail and Web surfing to music and video were growing faster than overall phone unit sales, which Nokia has forecast to grow at a 10% rate from 2007.

He said the smartphone market would grow about 50% to up to 180 million units in 2008, from 120 million in 2007.

“Maybe its 50% or 55% or 45%. Who knows ... That market is growing at a fast pace compared to the overall market. I don't see that changing,” he said.

Nokia competes with Apple Inc and Research in Motion as well as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and LG Electronics in high-end phones.

Noting that rivals Motorola and LG Sony Ericsson have global market shares below 10%, Simonson said it was “very difficult” for them to compete at those levels.

“To play globally and to play across the various markets, I think it's difficult and unsustainable if you're not at this 15% and above scale,” he said, noting that scale helps in sales and marketing as well as research and development. (Reuters)