Finland's Nokia has gathered its networks services business in a single unit, focusing efforts to tap into the fast-growing market of managing operator networks, the company said on Wednesday. The firm said the services business, which includes day-to-day maintenance of the network gear it sells, accounted for over 25 percent of the networks unit's 2004 sales of 6.37 billion euros ($8.14 billion).
"We believe the services business will grow faster than the general market for networks," said Nokia Networks spokesman Thomas Jonsson.
Market leader Ericsson, which in January clinched a five-year deal to manage the 3G network of Italian operator H3G, has said it sees good growth in the market for professional services. Its revenues from the business rose 15 percent in the third quarter to 4.8 billion crowns ($676.2 million).
Other firms that target the services market are France's Alcatel and US Lucent.
Nokia's Jonsson said the firm had improved its share of the market during 2004 from a weaker position in 2003. "I would say our position now is as strong as it is in the networks market overall," he said.