Get Connected
The success of Nokia Developer Platforms will be ultimately tested by developer adoption. Nokia provides valuable services to wireless operators, developers, content owners, and business managers who want to leverage the Developer Platforms to reach hundreds of millions of device users.
Leading Platforms
The core value behind the Nokia Developer Platforms is the large volume of shipped devices. By March 2004, more than 40 Developer Platform devices had been launched. More than 100 million Developer Platform device units will be shipped in 2004. As the mobile handset market leader, Nokia's commitment to Developer Platforms allows developers and content owners to connect to the volumes via the minimum learning curves. It also eases the decision-making process for business managers who need to identify which handsets to support.
Developer Resources
Forum Nokia, the developer arm of Nokia, provides superb support for the Developer Platforms. Forum Nokia publishes software development tools, documentations, and white papers. The white papers cover a wide range of topics from technical tutorials to best practices to business case studies. Developers can access the latest devices and mobile service servers via the Forum Nokia loaner device and developer hub services. Forum Nokia also provides technical support via telephone and Internet discussion forums. It has more than 1.35 million registered users, more than 460,000 tool and document downloads every month, and more than 17,000 unique visitors everyday. Forum Nokia allows developers to connect to Developer Platform–related answers.
In early 2004, Nokia launched the Forum Nokia PRO service. For a small annual fee, companies can gain early access to tools, the latest prototype devices, confidential documents, and proprietary technical support from Nokia.
Business Generation
Nokia helps developers to get applications to the market. For large developers, Nokia provides opportunities to include custom applications directly on shipped devices. For example, Developer Platform devices can be shipped with add-on MMC flash cards that have third-party applications preinstalled. For smaller developers, the Nokia Tradepoint program is a worldwide online application and service catalog. In March 2004, there were more than 2,500 applications and 200 buyers in the Tradepoint channels. In addition, Nokia sponsors co-marketing events with local developers and buyers around the globe.
Together with Sun Microsystems and other mobile handset vendors, Nokia provides certification services for Java applications. A certificate guarantees that the application works correctly with Nokia Developer Platform devices and hence makes it eligible for software publisher catalogs.
Nokia's catalog, co-marketing, and certification services help developers connect with customers.