Nokia wants to make its mark in the Asia-Pacific in key vertical sectors such as healthcare but also transportation and financial services, in order to move towards « everything-as-a-service » model.
The group plans to expand its technology footprint in the healthcare market in areas such as IoT, artificial intelligence and digital, said to the press in April 2017 Sandeep Girotra, Nokia’s senior vice president for Asia-Pacific and Japan.
Health: Nokia to expand IoT services in Asia-Pacific
With regard to IoT services, Nokia has identified the field of care as an interesting sector to develop use cases in order to contribute to the deployment of smart cities. The Finnish group is currently working on models in South Korea and Japan, which its local partners could tap to provide IoT services, such as near real-time health data sharing between patients and doctors.
Creating connected products to invite patients to take control of their health
After having sold its devices and services division to Microsoft in 2014, the handset manufacturer has converted into a technology company focused on networks, 5G, IoT, telecommunications and other B2B solutions.
Gradually, the group has begun to invest in the healthcare market and to mark its footprint in the field of health tech.
« Our goal is to inspire people to take control of their own health with beautifully designed connected health products that fit seamlessly into their daily lives, » said in March 2017 Brad Rodrigues, interim president of Nokia Technologies.
One of the main concerns of the group is to participate in the fight against chronic diseases, an international scourge that affects developed countries of the APAC region. These diseases could be responsible up to 4.2 million deaths per year in South-East Asia by 2030, reports a study published in 2011 by the British medical journal The Lancet.
A series of connected health products expected for the summer of 2017
Withings and Nokia have established a new Digital Health business unit, led by Withings CEO Cédric Hutchings, just after the acquisition by the Finnish group of the French consumer electronics and wearable device manufacturer in 2016.
At Mobile World Congress (MWC2017), held in early March in Barcelona, Mr. Hutchings announced that a variety of connected health products, including trackers, blood pressure monitors, thermometers and home cameras, will be launched this summer under the Nokia brand.
Among the solutions that the company could develop in Asia, there are:
- The mobile application HealthMate. It collects all the data recorded from connected devices in one single place in order to provide a 360-degree view of health.
- A redesigned Health Mate application. It will make it easier for users to add devices, share progress with family members, and introduce new in-depth coaching programs.
The coaching programs aim to encourage users to achieve their health goals in eight weeks and also offer personalized experiences to help them better manage their health and well-being.
Nokia wants to invest the healthcare system
The health products developed by Nokia will also be deployed in the healthcare system through the launch of the company’s Patient Care Platform, that allows physicians and patients to manage chronic conditions such as hypertension.
Part of the plan is to introduce a Patient Care platform to transform the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals.
« We care about fitness, but [our future strategy is] not about fitness. [It focuses] on health, » Brad Rodrigues said.
Improving the connection between health sector actors
Simplifying exchanges between industry players is one of the group’s main tasks. Nokia’s president and CEO Rajeev Suri said the company wants to create technology that connects people to each other.
« Does anybody still remember that old Nokia tagline ‘Connecting People’? (…) We want to transform the human experience, we want to be known as an enabler of the human possibilities of technology, » he said.
« Nokia today is mostly a B2B company, most of our revenues come from the networks business but increasingly we want to get closer to consumers: a watch, a camera, or a smart home residential gateway that becomes a hub for automation in the home. »