By now we all learned Nokia has plans to move beyond devices. Their Software and Services department should drive the growth in the years to come with media being one of the areas they find particularly interesting — hence there’s the Nokia Media Network.
That being said we were everything but surprised to see Nokia opening a new research laboratory in Hollywood, California. The new R&D facility will work with members of the media and entertainment industry including new technology companies and creative talent. Additionally, the idea is to co-operate with leading universities such as University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Southern California (USC) to drive long-term research activities to “further strengthen Nokia’s leadership position in the convergence of internet and mobility.”
Newly appointed director of NRC Hollywood, Rebecca Allen, commented: “Hollywood has an enormous variety of academic institutions, innovative media businesses and unique creative talent. It offers exactly the right ingredients for research into topics that will be vital for Nokia’s business in the future. The link with the movie industry is naturally strong, however the entertainment concepts we will be working on at the NRC Hollywood laboratory are even more diverse. The laboratory will explore new entertainment experiences that combine the physical and digital worlds. Our research work will focus on mixed reality experiences, with a strong community flavor. We will develop new user interfaces that fully explore the role of the human body and human motion for more natural forms of interaction. Mobile devices will play a central role in this.”