EVOLUTION OF NOKIA.

Nokia is communication. As a company that began in 1865, it has always been about communication. But back then, it the vehicle was paper. The founder of Nokia, Fredrik Idestam, who in 1867 won a bronze medal at the Paris World Exposition for inventing a cheaper paper manufacturing process, became known as the father of Finland’s Paper Industry.

Named Nokia Ab for the paper mill built beside the Nokianvirta river in Finland, the company added electricity to its business activities in 1902. With the addition of Finnish Rubber Works and Finnish Cable Works, the Nokia empire was growing. By when the new Nokia Corporation was formed, it operated in five major areas: rubber, cable, forestry, electrons, and power generation. Although each business had a director, they each reported to Nokia’s president Bjorn Westerlund who had set up and headed the electronics department, thus plotting the course for Nokia’s future in telecommunications.

The newly formed Nokia Corporation was perfectly poised to take the lead in the emerging mobile communications field. With European deregulation and global mobile markets, Nokia stood at the ready with unrivaled products such as the 1979 Mobira Oy, a joint venture with Finnish television maker Salora and the 1981 Nordic Mobile Telephone, the first international mobile telephone.

Then in 1982, Nokia jumped ahead of the curve again and went digital with the DX200. It may seem a little primitive now, but it was cutting edge technology at the time. Then in 1987, the Mobira Cityman was hailed as a breakthrough. This lightweight, 800 grams, mobile was the first handheld NMT. Before this gem, mobiles were installed in cars.

In 1992 Nokia decided to focus on telecommunications with President and CEO Jorma Ollila at the helm – good decision! Since then, Nokia has had one benchmark after another. In 1994, the world’s first satellite call using a Nokia GSM handset. In ’98 Nokia became the world leader in mobile phones and in ’99, the internet went mobile on a Nokia. In 2002 Nokia had the first G3 phone and in 2005 Nokia sold its one-billionth phone.

Nokia still means communication – world class communication. Now under the direction of Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, it shows no sign of slowing down or stepping out of the lead.