24 January, 2012

TechPinas

TechPinas

Dharmesh Goshalia, Nokia Philippines' New General Manager

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 08:50 AM PST

Year 2012 will be the comeback year for Nokia.

This is what the company believes, as they move towards a new direction in pushing forth new products and services. 2011 was a transition year for the company when they welcomed a new CEO, Mr. Stephen Elop who initiated a partnership with Microsoft to develop mobile devices that will once again regain Nokia's dominant position in the mobile industry.

In the Philippines, Nokia continues to be the number one despite facing tough competition. As the Finnish company introduces new products to the market, Nokia Philippines welcomes Dharmesh Goshalia to spearhead this campaign as the new General Manager.

dharmesh goshalia

Mr. Goshalia is a South African born citizen who was able to work in the telecom industry for 16 years. He has been with Nokia for 6 years. He has gained valuable experiences across countries in various regions which included Greece, Cyprus, Nigeria, Egypt, and Tunisia among others.

Mark of TechPinas' Message to Mr. Goshalia:

Welcome to the Philippines, Sir! The whole TP Team wishes you the very best in your new position as Nokia Philippines' General Manager.

Nokia remains to be the number 1 cellphone brand in the Philippines and it's because Filipinos love Nokia. In fact, we were recently told by a consumer research company that 6 out of 10 Pinoys choose Nokia over others. You have a brand that's loved by the people.

That said, TechPinas and I look forward to working closely with you and Nokia in your future campaigns for the greater benefit of your loyal Pinoy consumers. God bless!

The Philippines is one important battleground for mobile phone companies in Asian markets because the country is the texting capital of the world, and social networks have a very strong presence in the country.

What will Mr. Goshalia expect from his assignment in the Philippines? Despite Nokia's position as the market leader in the country, Mr. Goshalia should expect very very tough competition this year. Based on various sources, Samsung, their closest competitor, is already in a position to take away the crown from Nokia as the number one mobile brand. Apple's iPhone on the other hand, is still leading the smartphone category with its dramatic sales. While BlackBerry continues to be successful by partnering with telecom services to bring BB services that Filipinos really love.

But these scenarios also pose great opportunities for the company if they focus on their strengths. As one of the pioneers in the mobile phone industry, the Nokia brand still has a strong image for product quality and user-friendliness. Filipinos become nostalgic whenever they remember fond memories of their first mobile phones such as the Nokia 5110, 3210, and 3310.

Personally, I believe these positive perceptions should be reinforced in promoting Nokia's new products, such as the Lumia 800 and 710. In addition, marketing should be localized to appeal more to Filipinos. The message should be relayed by a trustworthy personality. For example, Nokia models that were endorsed by Vic Sotto became best-selling devices in Nokia's lineup. I believe that he can also successfully endorse flagship models such as the N9, and the Lumia 800. But that's another story.

So, that's one unsolicited advice for Mr. Goshalia. TechPinas warmly welcomes him to the Philippines and wishes him well in his new role.

TP Contributing Writer Profile: Mon Arguelles is a graduate of Environmental Management, a joint program of the Ateneo De Manila University and University of San Francisco. He's currently taking up his MBA. He is a part-time professor and environmental researcher but considers being updated about the latest technological trends to be one of his favorite pastimes.

Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone Philippines Live Demo! In the Flesh! Coming Soon!

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 06:17 AM PST

TechPinas Exclusive!

Given that Nokia has already chosen Microsoft's Windows Phone as the operating system of its future smartphones, the company's first WP7 device - the Nokia Lumia 800 - practically gives us a glimpse into the very future of the Finnish company.

nokia lumia 800
Nokia Lumia 800, in the flesh!

And if this live demo given to TechPinas by no less than Ms. Nikka Abes of Nokia Philippines during last week's Media Thanksgiving Event shows us what Nokia's future supersmartphones will be like - if a bit, I tell you, Nokia's future will be bright:


Thanks for the video, Mon!


I mean, the gorgeous UI, the responsiveness of the screen, the smooth transitions, the growing number of Marketplace apps, the fast browser, and built-in social applications of the WP platform combined with Nokia's expertise in handset design and multimedia features as well as its own set well-loved applications including Maps and Drive, I won't be surprised at all if Nokia's WP smartphones end up being some of the best-selling gadgets of 2012 and in the years to come.

But you don't have to wait too long to get hold of Nokia Lumia 800. I believe the phone will hit store shelves in the Philippines by Q2 this year or even as early as March, hopefully.

BlackBerry Philippines Twitter Account, Live! Follow 'em Now!

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 12:04 AM PST

Great news for BlackBerry fans in the Philippines who want to be able to talk to RIM directly at any time of the day regarding their concerns or simply to praise the brand for their great handsets!

I've just received an email from Research in Motion's PR agency in the Philippines that BlackBerry Philippines' Twitter account is now live and ready to accept followers!

We are starting the year of the Dragon with a huge roar!

Please follow @BlackBerryPH, the official Twitter account for Research In Motion, Philippines, the makers of BlackBerry :-)

Hope you can also share this exciting piece of news on Twitter!

blackberry philippines
So I checked the account earlier -- and it's live indeed! On the left side of the page, you'll see RIM's current roster of reps for the Philippines -- including Mr. Ray Gillenwater, Country Manager of RIM for the Philippines, whom TechPinas had an exclusive interview with during BlackBerry Developer Conference Asia held last month.

If you're on Twitter, feel free follow BlackBerry Philippines here. And if you will, follow TechPinas as well via this link.
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