Nokia cites enterprise benefits of Windows Phone 8 as key selling points

Company dismisses competition from Samsung and HTC

Nokia has cited the business benefits of the Windows Phone 8 platform as one of the key selling points for the updated platform that it believes it can use to grow sales of its Lumia range of smartphones.

The company's vice president of Western Europe, Conor Pierce, said the firm is aware it needs to improve its position in the market at an event in London on Tuesday.

"We know we have a challenge. But we know that we are a firm challenger within the smartphone space and we will get there. The UK is probably one of the most important markets we will use to turn around Nokia," he said.

"We feel there's a chance for platform expansion in the enterprise space. This is a huge opportunity for Nokia, a huge opportunity for Lumia and we're going to work with Microsoft to ensure we monopolise on it."

As such Pierce cited the slew of business benefits offered by Windows Phone 8 that it can use to entice enterprises. These include corporate level file encryption and cross platform integration with Microsoft's Windows 8 OS and Microsoft Office.

Prior to Pierce's claims Samsung UK vice president of IT, Graham Long, had also claimed the arrival of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 was a unique opportunity to let the company offer businesses a complete portfolio of products.

Samsung is one of many companies to take renewed interest in the Windows Phone platform following the arrival of the new version of the platform.

Furthermore, as well as Samsung with its Ativ S smartphone, HTC is also set to release two Windows Phone 8 handsets, the WP8 S and WP8 X.

Nokia's Pierce welcomed the competition, claiming it would help increase development and innovation on the Windows Phone, but dismissed the rivals offerings as inferior products to Nokia's offerings.

"Back in November we launched a new brand, Lumia, and since then we've gotten phenomenal awareness of that brand. Nokia Lumia is synonymous with Windows Phone," he said.

"We resurrected the Windows Phone. We have been the driving force of Windows Phone. We have led the Windows Phone platform in the UK up to this point."

The new Lumia 920 and 820 devices are set to be available in the UK from the 2nd and the 7th of November, respectively.