Nokia’s incoming chairman confident of Windows Phone strategy

Nokia new chairman, who will be taking over for Jorma Ollila , Risto Siilasmaa, has expressed confidence that Nokia’s current strategy will ultimately lead to success.

“I don’t think any new change is required as we are going through a transformation period already,” Siilasmaa, 45, said at a press briefing before the company’s annual investor meeting in Helsinki.

“Nokia is going through a very difficult period for us as shareholders, as employees and as Finns, but I am certain we have the right team, the right strategy and increasingly the right products to emerge as a very successful company,” Siilasmaa said.

A board member since 2008, he helped pick Chief Executive Officer Stephen Elop, who ultimately decided to replace Symbian with Windows Phone.

Nokia will continue to work on software and services hosted online as well as hardware, Stephen Elop said at the briefing. “We can’t do it all but we can pick the areas where we have unique intellectual property,” he said.

Nokia has so far been differentiating their Windows Phones by adding exclusive applications and services, rather than modifying the OS, but has had great input in the development of Windows Phone 7.5 Tango so far, including LTE support and pushing ahead support for China, hoping to hit the traditionally low Symbian sweet spot.

It is of course encouraging that while some power is changing hands in Nokia, the company remains very steadfast and confident of its course, rather than panicking as some investors have been so far.

Via Businesweek.com