HMD Global

HMD Global Oy
Osakeyhtiö
(Limited company)
Industry Mobile phones
Predecessor Microsoft Mobile
Founded 1 December 2016 (2016-12-01)
Headquarters Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Arto Nummela (CEO)
Florian Seiche (President)
Products Mobile phones, smartphones and tablets
Brands Nokia
Website www.hmdglobal.com

HMD Global Oy, branded as simply HMD, stylized as hmd., is a Finnish company that develops mobile devices under the "Nokia" brand name. It was formed in May 2016 announcing its purchase of part of Microsoft Mobile's feature phone business, the successor of Nokia's mobile phone business, and a licensing agreement. The sale was completed in December 2016.[1] It is headed by CEO Arto Nummela and is headquartered in Espoo near Helsinki, in front of Nokia's headquarters.

HMD is made up of veteran Nokia staff,[2] and makes feature phones, as well as smartphones and tablets running on the Android platform.[3] Manufacturing and distribution will be performed by Foxconn's FIH Mobile division.[4] There are currently three devices under development, slated to be announced by early 2017.[5]

Nokia itself does not directly invest in HMD but will have a board member representative, set mandatory requirements, and will receive royalty payments for patents, and grant rights to its research and development properties.[6][7]

History

Nokia Corporation was formerly the most popular mobile phone maker, and its brand eventually became a household name in certain markets. After struggling in the market, the company sold its mobile phone business to Microsoft in 2014, who formed Microsoft Mobile. The "Nokia" brand continued to be used by Microsoft until it was retired for Lumia smartphones in October 2014, but remaining for feature phones. Despite their downfall, Nokia's brand was still widely trusted and recognized, and Nokia Corporation took the opportunity to license the brand to the newly formed HMD.[8]

On 18 May 2016, Microsoft Mobile announced the sale of its feature phone business, described as an 'unwanted extra'.[9] Part of it was sold to HMD Global, a new Finland-based company made up of mostly ex-Nokia staff. HMD signed a licensing agreement with Nokia Corporation giving HMD sole use of the "Nokia" brand on mobile phones and tablets worldwide for the next decade, and cellular standard essential patent licenses, as well as design rights it acquired from Microsoft. Nokia has said this move is "uniting one of the world's iconic mobile brands with the leading mobile operating system".[10] The remainder of the Microsoft Mobile feature phone business, including factories, has been acquired by FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Foxconn, who will both manufacture and distribute HMD's products.[11] The total sale to both HMD and FIH Mobile amounted to US$350 million.[12]

The sale to HMD and FIH Mobile was finalized on 1 December 2016, with new Nokia devices expected to be released in 2017.[13] Subsequently HMD showed a new logo and a slogan, The Home of Nokia Phones, whilst the Nokia website once again listed mobile devices for sale.[14] HMD have insisted to spend US$500 million in supporting the marketing of the new products over the next three years.

Operation

Staff

The CEO of the company is Arto Nummela, who joined Nokia in 1994 and then worked at Microsoft Mobile from 2014. The presidency role will be fulfilled by Florian Seiche, who previously worked at Nokia, Siemens, Orange and HTC. On 15 August 2016, Pekka Rantala, former CEO of Rovio Entertainment, became HMD's Chief Marketing Officer,[15] commenting that Nokia will "rise again". Rantala previously held several positions at Nokia from 1994 to 2011.[16]

Headquarters

HMD is based at Karaportti 2 in Espoo, Finland, on the same road as Nokia Corporation who are based at number 3. HMD's other main offices are located in London, England, and Dubai, UAE.[17] The former Nokia House still remains part of Microsoft, known as Microsoft Talo.

Legal

HMD is owned by Smart Connect LP, a private equity fund partly managed by Jean-François Baril, who was Senior Vice President of Nokia from 1999 to 2012, having also worked previously at Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, and roles at numerous other businesses.[18] HMD global Oy was originally incorporated on 9 November 2015, according to Finland's organizations database.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/features/meet-hmd-global-the-team-bringing-nokia-phones-back-1633189
  2. ↑ http://www.androidauthority.com/legend-lives-nokia-branded-android-smartphones-coming-soon-693048/
  3. ↑ "Mikä ihmeen HMD? Tällainen on yhtiö, joka alkaa valmistaa Nokian puhelimia". Yle Uutiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  4. ↑ http://www.mobileworldlive.com/devices/news-devices/nokia-brand-to-return-to-devices-as-microsoft-confirms-feature-phone-retreat/
  5. ↑ http://www.knowyourmobile.com/mobile-phones/nokia-c1/23369/nokia-c1-leaks-running-android-windows-10-ahead-q4-2016-launch-A1
  6. ↑ http://www.iam-media.com/blog/Detail.aspx?g=c49dfdbb-3264-4a1f-ad4f-ca5855d94cd0
  7. ↑ http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hmd-global-founded-to-create-new-generation-of-nokia-branded-mobile-phones-and-tablets-579916811.html
  8. ↑ http://www.counterpointresearch.com/nokia-brand-relives/
  9. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-36320329
  10. ↑ http://www.zdnet.com/article/nokia-branded-smartphones-and-tablets-are-coming-and-they-will-be-running-android/
  11. ↑ "Microsoft sells Nokia brand use to Foxconn and HMD global". SlashGear. 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  12. ↑ "Nokia will return to mobile with Android phones and tablets". Engadget. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  13. ↑ http://www.anandtech.com/show/10879/hmd-closes-nokia-brand-and-patents-deal-with-microsoft-nokia-smartphones-on-the-way
  14. ↑ http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/738710/nokia-return-smartphone-online-sales-android-devices-hmd-global
  15. ↑ http://arcticstartup.com/article/ex-angry-birds-ceo-head-relaunch-nokia-phones/
  16. ↑ http://www.androidauthority.com/nokia-appoints-veteran-smartphone-business-709830/
  17. ↑ http://www.hmdglobal.com/contact/
  18. ↑ https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jeanfrancoisbaril
  19. ↑ https://tietopalvelu.ytj.fi/

External links

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