Nokia Siemens Networks Launches Multivendor LTE Certification Program

| Feb 9, 2011 | Telecom Vendor Services | Analyst: Jeff Ogle

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Event Summary

February 9, 2011 – Nokia Siemens Networks announced it is launching a training and certification program to provide understanding of LTE solutions in a multi-vendor environment. It plans to roll out the program to customers and third party IT professionals in Q2 2011. Hundreds of Nokia Siemens Networks engineers and sales people have been certified. Examinations are conducted by independent test centers to verify the LTE expertise achieved and the company plans to increase the number of certified employees to 4,500 by the end of 2011.

Quick Take

Analytical Summary

• Current Perspective: Positive on Nokia Siemens Networks’ adding a solution certification program for LTE, because it addresses the knowledge void that is always created as a new technology comes to market and begins to get extensively deployed. Having a community of trained professionals at all levels is fundamental to enabling a technology to leap the chasm and become mainstream. Recognizing this, Nokia Siemens Networks is leveraging experience it has already gained in LTE deployments and existing training infrastructure be one of the first to bring this type of service offering to the market.

• Vendor Importance: High to Nokia Siemens Networks, because this certification service will serve to differentiate itself from rival professional service offerings and demonstrate specific technical expertise in multivendor networking LTE. It will serve to help to round out Nokia Siemens Networks’ standing as an expert in LTE technology, addressing the operational needs and problems of the operators ahead of its competitors. Most important, however, is that by training network operator staff personnel, it could promote the value of other professional/managed services and, potentially, product sales.

• Market Impact: Low on the telecom infrastructure services market because NSN’s chief LTE rival, Ericsson, will tout the extent of its expertise without highlighting a certification program, instead positioning it a something inherent within its current offering. Furthermore because LTE standards are well defined, other competitors should be able to create their own certification programs without substantial difficulty. Finally, although NSN’s program appears to have depth, with four levels of certification going from associate to expert, the lack of a customer endorsement and availability window of 45-135 days detracts from its perceived necessity amongst the operator community.

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Current Perspective

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