Published on Sun.Star Network Online (http://www.sunstar.com.ph)
by Debra Magallon-Estero
MOBILE phone manufacturer Nokia is confident it would sustain its growth in the country after its overall market share in the Philippines went up to one percent year-on-year.
“(Nokia’s) future is bright in the Philippines,” said William Hamiton-Whyte, general manager for Nokia Philippines.
He said that from Nokia’s perspective, the Philippine market will remain resilient to the crisis, unlike in other countries wherethe company also has a strong penetration rate.
“Europe is difficult, the Middle East and African (markets) are okay but Russia is going into recession,” he said.
Last year, Nokia built and sold 468 million units of mobile phones worldwide; of the figure, 134 million were sold in AsiaPacific.
In the country, Hamilton-Whyte said Nokia’s market penetration rate is at 55 percent of the total Philippine population.
“If you will take out the (non-users of mobile phones) from the population, the penetration rate would be closer to 70 percent,” he said.
Indicators
During a press conference last Monday, Hamilton-Whyte disclosed that it will be difficult to give business projections for this year but he said the company is looking at three indicators that will tell how the company will fare in 2009.
He believes, though, that the company would be able to achieve a volume growth of not more than five percent this year.
He said Nokia, like any company, is looking at investing and business process outsourcing activities in the country as well as the remittances of overseas Filipino workers.
“Indicators showed that for the first half of this year, (the mobile handset industry) should be stable,” he said. But should any of the indicators “go wrong,” like if the OFW remittances will decline, he said “the worst can happen.”
He said the effect of the crisis will vary from one company to another, depending on how prepared an organization is.
Companies that resort to job cuts to cope with the crisis will end up affecting Nokia’s market and revenues, he added.
However, Hamilton-Whyte said the company will not change its strategy for this year and will continue to expand its presence by opening more
Nokia retail stores and Nokia Care centers nationwide.
Last Monday, Nokia transferred one of its care centers at the third level of the Ayala Center in Cebu. At present, there are two Nokia Care Centers in Cebu City out of 21 centers nationwide. (DME)
Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/mobile-phone-maker-still-confident-about-rp-market-growth-2009
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