Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) announced today it has won a managed services deal to support the launch of Nokia’s luxury Vertu brand in Japan as an MVNO. In a statement, the network infrastructure vendor said the deal will allow Vertu to introduce services “without investing in its own software, equipment, people and skills.” NSN will host the MVNO service from its Singapore hosting centre, whilst Vertu focuses on marketing and selling the service. 

Last month, Mobile Business Briefing reported on Nokia’s plans to launch its ‘Club Vertu’ brand in Japan. The luxury mobile handset brand will run over NTT DoCoMo’s network and is expected to launch in the second quarter of this year. Vertu will open its first Japanese store on 19 February, when it will take pre-orders for the handsets. Established in 1998, Nokia’s Vertu-branded luxury phones feature jewels and precious metals and retail for between €3,500 and €100,000. The handsets also feature a ‘concierge key’ that enables access to a round-the-clock personal assistant to help with travel, dining and entertaining arrangements. Its new business model in Japan marks a major departure for Nokia, which traditionally offers phones via local mobile operators. The Finnish vendor has a market-leading 37 percent global share of the global handset market but its new MVNO model is considered a strategy that will allow Nokia to more effectively promote its ‘Ovi’ mobile content services offering. Late last year the company announced it is to stop selling mobile phones in Japan except for its Vertu brand.