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Thursday, February 02, 2006
Mobile phone maker eyes big share of Cebu market
To keep up with the stiff competition in the cellular phone manufacturing industry, Finland-based Nokia Philippines Inc. (Nokia) plans to focus on the local market, especially Cebu, beginning this year.
Nokia Philippines general manager Parikshit Bhasin said Nokia’s plans to increase visibility in Cebu is also a tribute to the province for being one of the most dynamic markets in the Philippines.
Visible
“We will be visible in Cebu now (more than ever) through events and product launchings among others. We are realigning our resources to capture the provincial markets,” he told a media gathering at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort last Tuesday.
“Cebu is the next big city to conquer,” Bhasin said.
He said the 140-year old Nokia, which has transformed from being a producer of groundwood, rubber and cable to cellular phones, has occupied the “top position” in the global cellular phone manufacturing industry in the past six years.
But Nokia will always be on its toes, as other cellular phone manufacturing companies are also aggressive in their marketing efforts.
Bhasin said Nokia allots a large budget on research to maintain Nokia’s “user-friendly” edge over its competitors and produce new models to cater to the needs of different segments of the market.
Aside from manufacturing cellular phones, Nokia also provides network infrastructure to two of the largest telecommunications company in the country: Globe Telecom and Smart Communications Inc.
Network
Bhasin said Smart’s network is 100 percent Nokia while while some 60 percent of Globe’s network is serviced by Nokia.
Nokia is now selling 26 cellular phone models in the Philippines. The company will be launching 11 more new cell phone models within this quarter.
Bhasin said the average life cycle of cellular phones in the Philippines is from 24 to 30 months. This means that most people change their cellular phones after 24 to 30 months.
He said there are 35 million Nokia users in the Philippines, at present.
The firm aims to increase this number to three billion by 2008. (JBN)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 2, 2006 issue)
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