Nokia has today announced that the Nokia 6210, the company's latest GSM 900/1800 WAP and HSCSD enabled mobile phone for the classic segment, has passed certification of the GSM Certification Forum (GCF). The Nokia 6210 is the first GSM product in the world to receive this new certification, which is to date already supported by 100 operators, representing a combined subscriber base of over 150 million customers. In addition, the 14 largest GSM terminal manufacturers that provide more than 95 percent of all GSM handsets sold worldwide have signed Declarations of Participation in the GSM Certification Forum.
"Nokia is proud to be the first mobile phone manufacturer to receive certification for its product from the GSM Certification Forum. We are strongly committed to support GCF in its work, and we feel that there is a clear need for this kind of additional voluntary testing- and approval process to allow for a faster introduction of new technologies and solutions across all GSM markets, especially in an increasingly complex future convergent market place," says Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Nokia Mobile Phones.
The GSM Certification Forum is a voluntary organization, which was announced during the GSM World Congress 2000 in Cannes. It is an independent program that aims to implement, verify, and monitor an entirely new global voluntary certification process for testing GSM handsets and terminals. The GCF program is designed to provide independent and complementary augmentation of existing regulatory requirements and the R&TTE Directive (Radio & Telecommunications Terminal Equipment).
"Voluntary Certification brings benefits for everyone," says Horst Domeier, Chairman, GCF Steering Group. "For manufacturers, it simplifies new product entry and reduces the cost of multiple testing and approval processes. For operators, it provides further assurance that certified terminals will work on their network. Most importantly, for GSM customers this global program will reduce interoperability problems worldwide when handsets or terminals move from one network to another. We are very happy that Nokia is the forerunner in the implementation of the GCF certification."
Certification sets out clear steps for terminal manufacturers to follow and a visible audit trail for testing assurance. As well as ensuring an even higher degree of interoperability, the forum process provides 'one-stop verification' which can significantly shorten the product-to-market time for manufacturers. Through the forum, operators and terminal manufacturers have created a new testing standard that provides greater confidence in terminal device functionality and interoperability which can give GSM customers a high degree of confidence.
Nokia is paving the way to the Mobile Information Society with its innovative products and solutions. The company is the leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks, related services as well as multimedia terminals. In 1999, Nokia's net sales totaled EUR 19.8 billion (USD 19.9 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the New York (NOK), Helsinki, Stockholm, London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges and employs more than 56 000 people.
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The Nokia 6210 is the first GSM product to comply with certification criteria of the GSM Certification Forum (GCF)
| Source: Nokia Oyj