Origin Of Nokia Ringtone
Annemie
The Nokia tune is a phrase from a composition for solo guitar, Gran Vals, composed in 1902 by the Spanish classical guitarist and composer Francisco Trrega.[1] It has been associated with Finnish corporation Nokia since the 1990s, becoming the first identifiable musical ringtone on a mobile phone; Nokia selected an excerpt to be used as its default ringtone.[2]
The Nokia tune first appeared on the Nokia 2010 released in 1994, under the name ringtone Type 5, showing that it was just one of the normal ringtones. The tune's original name varied in the ringtone list, listed as Type 13 on some phones, or Type 8 on others. In December 1997 with the introduction of the Nokia 6110, ringtones were each given a specific name, and the tune received the name "Grande valse". Some later Nokia phones (e.g. some 3310s) still used Type 7 as the name of the Nokia tune.[6] In 1998, "Grande valse" was renamed to "Nokia tune" and effectively became Nokia's flagship ringtone.
The Nokia tune has been updated several times, either to take advantage of advancing technology or to reflect musical trends at the time. The first polyphonic MIDI version of the Nokia tune, created by composer Ian Livingstone[7] (often mistaken as being Thomas Dolby's work),[8] was introduced in 2001 with the release of two South Korea-exclusive devices, the Nokia 8877 and the Nokia 8887. The Nokia 3510, released in 2002, was the first globally released phone to include this version, using Beatnik's miniBAE technology. The Nokia 9500 Communicator in 2004 introduced a realtone recorded piano version. A guitar-based version was introduced with the Nokia N78 in 2008, reflecting the popularity of nu-folk at the time.[3]
The Nokia N9 in late 2011 introduced a new version, which was created by in-house composer Henry Daw. This version uses a marimba for its melody, and was intended to be genre-neutral.[9] The same year, a contest titled Nokia Tune Remake was held on the crowdsourcing website Audiodraft.[10] The winning entry was a dubstep version, which was shipped on many Nokia phones from 2012 to 2013 alongside the regular Nokia tune. Another updated version of the Nokia tune was introduced in 2013, built on the same principles as the 2011 version. In 2018, a new version was introduced on HMD Global's Nokia 1 and 7 Plus, and remains in use. This was also created by Henry Daw; it was intended to be an evolution of the 2013 version while retaining similar instrumentation.[11]
Other versions have been produced for specific models. These include a slow piano version for the Nokia 8800 by Ryuichi Sakamoto,[12] and a slow guitar version for the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition by Brian Eno.[13]
In December 1999, Jimmy Cauty, formerly of The KLF, and Guy Pratt released the mobile telephone-themed novelty-pop record "I Wanna 1-2-1 With You" under the name Solid Gold Chartbusters which heavily samples the theme.[14] It was released as competition for the UK Christmas number one single but only got to number 62.[15] The release of this song prevented the Super Furry Animals from releasing their song "Wherever I Lay My Phone (That's My Home)" from the album Guerrilla as a single, on the grounds that it was also based on a mobile phone theme.[16][17]
The Indonesian rock band The Changcuters included the segment of the Nokia tune on their song "Parampampam". The song was included on their 2011 album Tugas Akhir and was also featured on the Nokia X2-01 for the Indonesian market.[22]
Remember the original Nokia ringtone? If so, Grand Vals by Spanish musician Francisco Tarrega might sound familiar. This musical piece was composed in 1902 by the classical guitarist and associated with Finnish corporation since the 1990s.
Before Samsung and Apple were the top two competitors in the mobile phone market, Nokia was king. This mobile phone company served customers in 130 companies. It was one of the first to capture 49% of the mobile phone market's market share. Anyone alive during the 90s and early 2000s knew the iconic Nokia ringtone.
This was an impressive feat for any company. But Nokia was making a whole host of different products long before it sold mobile phones. Did you know they also produced rubber boots and paper products?
Nokia began as a paper mill company in 1865. Fredrik Idestam established the company in southern Finland. Three years later, Idestam created a second paper mill near the town of Nokia. In 1871, Idestam and his friend, Leo Mechelin, formed a shared company called Nokia Ab. Michelin was the chairman.
In the early 21st century, the company was a pioneer in mobile phone technology. Similarly, 19th century it made advancements in their industry. The company introduced new production methods by leveraging the country's primary resource: forests. As the company expanded, they even constructed their own power plants. As a result, now Nokia could power their energy-intensive company.
In 1902, Michelin decided to expand beyond paper products and enter the electricity industry. Unfortunately, World War I took a toll on Nokia's profitability. In short, the company neared bankruptcy.
In 1922, Finnish Rubber Works (owned by Eduard Poln) acquired Nokia. Finnish Rubber Works manufactured rubber products, including rubber boots. The company was able to bring in revenue by manufacturing respirators for civilians. Finnish Rubber Works also manufactured gas masks for the Finnish Defense Forces.
As Finnish trade expanded, so did the Nokia company. In the 1960s, its leaders decided it was time to develop their interests beyond Finnish borders. Part of their strategy was to improve their internal structures and acquire different companies.
The Nokia Corporation also established another division. It focused on data processing, automation, and communication. This division would help Nokia continue creating innovative products. Samsung developed various electronics, like computers and workstations. As a result, knowledge in electronics prepared Nokia for researching mobile phones.
In 1977, Kari Kairamo became CEO of Nokia. Kairamo focused on telecommunications and electronics. One of its first ventures was selling switching systems under license from Alcatel. Alcatel was a French telecommunications company.
Nokia dipped their toes in the cellular industry in the late 1970s. Consequently, they helped design the world's first international cellular system. The Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) came online in 1981. It linked Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland telephonically.
Nokia acquired these companies to gain access to information and technology. Subsequently, the company prepared for its expansion beyond Finland. The company was rapidly expanding and needed a direction to pour its resources.
Kairamo studied the growth strategy of other Scandinavian companies, including Sweden's Electrolux. "What are they doing right? How can we do the same and better?" were thoughts we like to imagine crossed his mind.
Kairamo followed Electrolux's growth strategy. Kairamo would focus on improving Nokia subsidiaries while also expanding. The company improved their existing products and grew its reputation for quality. Likewise, they increased their production capacity before entering the world market.
After deliberation, he decided the company could benefit from modernizing its less lucrative divisions. They may not reap sky-high profits. However, stable markets like paper and machinery production offered steady revenue. As many investors might say, diversification can hedge risk.
By 1980, Nokia had acquired nearly 20 electronic companies. The company combined Salora and Luxor into a single division. Meanwhile, it also poured resources into creating stylish consumer products. Other divisions researched satellite and digital television technology.
The company also acquired the consumer electronics sector of Standard Elektrik Lorenz A.G. from Alcatel in 1987. This further strengthened Nokia's foothold in the television market. After that, they also became the third largest manufacturer in Europe. In 1988, the brand acquired the data systems division of the Swedish Ericsson Group. After this acquisition, it was also the largest Scandinavian information technology business.
Moreover, plans to expand beyond Finnish borders moved forward. The Finnish government allowed greater foreign participation in Nokia ownership. This allowed the company to serve its interests in international markets better.
Kairamo wanted Nokia to establish an international presence. He built relationships with companies in France, Sweden, Canada, and Britain. For many of these relationships, the company served as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The company manufactured products as a subcontractor for many companies, including:
While these business relationships helped Nokia, Kairamo realized a problem. These alliances were working against their interests. As an OEM, the company would remain in the shadows as a manufacturer. However, Kairamo wanted it to be easily recognized.
Unfortunately, the company also started facing financial troubles. In the early 90s, the stock price dropped. Some report the loss at $102 million in 1991. Many factors pointed to these troubling times:
Ollila also sold off many of Nokia's sectors, including Finnish Rubber Works. (Recall that this company merged with two other companies to form Nokia Corporation). In 1991, Vuorilehto sold Nokia Data to UK-based International Computer Limited. Nokia Data was one of the company's computer divisions. Finally, he also sold off Nokia's paper and flooring businesses.
Nokia's consumer electronics division's workforce dropped by 45%. Ollila shuttered plants. Then he sold off a power unit in 1994. Finally, he sold off their television and tire and cable units in 1995.
Ollila decided that telecommunications were their best chance for success. To help them with this, Ollila acquired UK-based Technophone Ltd. in 1991. And in 1993, Nokia began selling its first digital cellular phone.
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