We aim to provide innovative, high-quality products and services which help people to connect. We want to meet the needs of all users, including people with physical, sensory or cognitive limitations. Product and service development takes account of social and environmental issues, including privacy concerns associated with the convergence of mobile and internet technology.

We sell the vast majority of products through distributors, network operators and Nokia branded stores which are owned and operated by our retail partners. These businesses are our main customers, together with a small number of independent retailers who we sell to directly.

Some sales are made direct to users through Nokia Online. We are also creating a chain of Flagship Stores in the world's premier shopping locations which offer Nokia products and services in a fashionable, interactive environment and with highly-trained staff. In 2007, we opened our seventh Flagship Store in Shanghai, China.

Research among customers and consumers has shown high levels of satisfaction. Trade customer satisfaction levels in 2007 were at the highest level since we began the survey in 1998.

See customer satisfaction for more information.

In April 2007, Nokia held an innovation summit on accessibility to examine where we want to be in 10 years, particularly in the context of ageing populations. We also want to understand physical, sensory, and cognitive accessibility challenges and the value of solutions in developing economies.

The summit brought together Nokia employees with international experts and stakeholders. The emphasis was on moving beyond merely meeting the needs of special groups. We believe we can turn accessibility into a business advantage because improved accessibility enhances the overall usability of our products.

Sustainable design

We take a human approach to designing mobile devices, with the goal of creating stylish products that work just the way people like them to. This ethos is central to our design work and brand.

Our design process is influenced by consumers and their behavior. We have a multi-disciplinary design team of approximately 300 psychologists, researchers, anthropologists and technology specialists representing more than 30 different nationalities. Based in China, Europe, Latin America, Japan, India, the US and elsewhere, the team conducts in-depth research and analysis of consumer trends and behavior, as well as studying new technologies, materials, shapes and styles.

Raising awareness of sustainable thinking within our design teams has been a target for many years. Designers are investigating more sustainable approaches in cooperation with our environmental team. Results from these efforts are beginning to be made public during 2008.

Find out more about a new concept from our design team that explores how recycled materials could be used to make mobiles in the future.

Accessibility

In 2007, we held an innovation summit with experts and stakeholders to take a long-term look at accessibility and re-launched Nokia’s accessibility website (www.nokiaaccessibility.com). The website has triple-A conformance to the worldwide web consortium (W3C) accessibility guidelines.

During the year we included several product features for accessibility, including:

• More choices in devices compatible with hearing aids.
• Text-to-speech deeper in sub-menus, a pre-installed font magnifier, a talking alarm and clock for customers with vision loss.
• Nokia Conversation, which improves message tracking for customers who rely on text for communication.