Electronic Echoes and the Bizarre War Nokia Communications Director John Pope Now Waging With Me?

This is so weird, so illogical, so bizarre. I am 100% sure Nokia Chairman Risto Siilasmaa is not aware - and would not approve. That Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is not aware, and would not approve. That Nokia Exec VP of Markets, Niklas Savander does not know, and definitely would not approve. That Nokia Chief Marketing Officer Jerri DeVard is not aware - and would absolutely disapprove. Disapprove of what? Of this ridiculous war that Nokia Director of Communications John S Pope (who Twitters as @JohnAtNokia and calls himself the 'social media strategist for Nokia' - so even his TW handle is a semi-official Nokia presence) is waging against me now.

Can it be in Nokia's interest for John S Pope, Nokia Director of Communications to keep the damaging Nokia, Skype and Microsoft story of their axis of evil - alive in the press? Why why why would John S Pope, Nokia Director of Communications decide to draw their own blood now, by raising the noise level about this issue, when every single article will now draw attention to the fact, that Nokia CEO admitted to the Nokia shareholders meeting that Nokia Lumia sales are suffering because carriers hate Skype, and therefore they hate Microsoft. Can this story be in Nokia's best interest? I had no interest today, when I arrived to my home here in Hong Kong, to spend this afternoon on a blog about the Electronic Echoes about the Nokia Skype Microsoft fiasco. I had asked John S Pope simply to apologize on Twitter, and this matter would have been nicely passed. I have tons of other stories I want to write about. But if John is not man enough to apologize for accusing me of fabricating quotations attributed to Elop, then so be it. John S Pope Nokia Director of Communications and Social Media Strategist for Nokia stated on a public social network, Twitter, that I fabricated material about Elop, that to me sounds like slander, doesn't it? I had been putting up with the little kerfuffle John S Pope started on Twitter, but I expected him to be man enough to apologize by now. Now I can of course start to put some real attention to this matter.

So lets look at the story, shall we. Before May 2, when you search Google News for the terms Nokia and Skype, there were 364 stories from the start of the year. They were mostly relating to the speculation of whether Skype will be part of Windows Phone and expectations of Windows 8. There was, as far as I could see, not one news story reporting on Nokia business troubles relating to Skype.

The first news outlet to discuss the matter was Helsingin Sanomat, when they reported (briefly) four Skype related short sentences that Elop told the Nokia Shareholders' Meeting last week. That news story was in Finnish of course. I spread the story here, by translating the same 4 sentences from Finnish into English, in a longer blog discussing Nokia developments.

From the Nokia Shareholders' Meeting to the end of last week, up to Sunday, there were now 376 new news stories about Nokia and Skype. Almost all of them, as far as I can see were about Nokia troubles with Skype and Microsoft, with headlines like "Nokia CEO Says Carriers Hate Skype" and "Skype Killing Windows" and "Here's More Bad News for Nokia." I can't take full credit for that, no doubt the Helsingin Sanomat story also found independently stories and there were many bloggers who covered the story, some of the news sources would refer to those bloggers, although, it seems that some of the bloggers were initially reacting to my blog here.

The story lived its 'news cycle' and was clearly slowing down towards the end of the week. Now bizarrely, John S Pope has come to accuse me of 'fabricating' words that Elop has said. I was stunned, I asked immediately for John S Pope, Nokia's Director of Communications, to show me where on this blog have I fabricated anything attributed to Elop. John S Pope, after accusing me in public of inventing words and attributing them to a CEO of a Fortune 500 sized company, then refuses to give me any instance where this has happened, but he did say ín response 'your entire blog is wrong'. As I quote verbatim the text as provided by Nokia via My Nokia Blog and I include a direct link to the video of Elop as provided by Nokia itself - Mr John S Pope's statement is factually untrue. Everything on my blog is not wrong. And I keep asking him to point to just one statement of Elop that he thinks I have 'fabricated', John S Pope, Nokia's Director of Communications rather than show even one such supposed fabrication, he responds: "Not productive to argue with distortionists but worth calling them out. Mission accomplished. #factsvsfiction."

I publically now call Nokia Marketing Communciations and Mr Pope's superiors to retract that statement, that Tomi Ahonen and the Communities Dominate blog have fabricated quotations about Stephen Elop Nokia CEO. I want my reputation cleared officially by Nokia. And of course, I want a public apology from John S Pope, Nokia Director of Communications, apologizing for calling me a fabricator.

Meanwhile can this issue be in Nokia's interest to continue in the public domain? What happened now this week, after John S Pope, Nokia Director of Communications, started his war with me? This week so far there have already been 290 new news stories with Nokia and Skype. What kind of headlines? "Skype Killing Windows" and "Skype May Be Windows Worst Enemy" and "Skype Stunting Microsoft, Nokia Turnaround".

So, Risto Siilasmaa? Is this intelligent use of the time of your Director of Communications to pick a fight with some blogger who is widely referenced in this industry? So, Stephen Elop, is this a wise strategy to re-litigate the worst news you've been involved in since the disasterous Q1 results? So, Niklas Savander, is this helping Nokia markets or hurting it, the more this story spreads, especially beyond the Finnish and English languages? And Jerri DeVard, is this professional behavior by your Director of Communications to accuse a 12x published author, lecturer at Oxford University and highly respected industry analyst of 'fabrications' and then, like what Americans would call a 'Chicken Shit' John S Pope refuses to show where I supposedly have fabricated quotations about Stephen Elop. I put it to you, that perhaps its time for some calmer heads to have a private chat with John S Pope, Nokia Director of Communication and Social Media Strategist for Nokia. And perhaps, if this is his idea of Social Media Strategy, it might even make sense to hire a more competent social media person who knows not to go pick fights in social media.

THE WORLD IS LEARNING ABOUT AXIS OF EVIL

So. Now the story is spreading. Who is writing about Nokia Skype and Microsoft troubles, relating to Lumia, referencing Stephen Elop's statements at the AGM? Lets take a little poll:

We start with the first report, this is one more time the heroic Helsingin Sanomat, Finland's largest newspaper, who did publish the first story about the question by Nokia shareholder Mika Hasanen about Nokia problems with distrubution due to Skype. (I am truly stunned, still now, thinking how bizarre, that for all the Finnish press who covered the story, how could all others miss this obvious biggest bombshell from the AGM). Let me quote the actual Finnish (HS translation of Elop reply in English) reported reply by Elop, for the record. HS reported that Elop said thus: "Jos operaattori ei halua meitä, niin se ei halua. Vetoamme kuitenkin operaattoreihin toisin argumentein. Meillä on tarjota heille muuta. Skype-keskustelusta on hyvä lähteä liikkeelle."

I provided my translation of that as "If the operator doesn't want us, it doesn't want us. We will appeal to them with other arguments. We have more to offer to them. It is a good point to start the discussion from Skype.""

Note, that Google Translate version comes out as this: "If the operator does not want us, so it does not want to. We appeal to operators, however, contrary arguments. We have to offer them more. Skype conversation is a good starting point."

If Nokia's John Pope Director of Communications has a problem with the original text, don't accuse me, accuse Helsingin Sanomat. But HS Finnish translation is very close accurate version of what Elop did say, as we can see from the video. If you think my translation was 'fabrication' I think my translation is better English, while holding the same meaning, as Google Translate.

So then lets see how it spread. First English news source to cover the story on 4 May, and referring to my blog here, was Business Insider. They entitled their story "Nokia's CEO Talks About How Skype Affects Carrier Relations". They quoted from this blog in length (thanks!)

And then the dam kind of broke. Now just selected news sources and their articles. In Finland, now the other media also woke up. Kauppalehti, Finland's largest business paper featured the story as a front page news, entitling it "Uusi Vaite Nokian Vaikeuksista: Skype" 

Network World looked at it from Microsoft's point of view, in an article entilted "Skype May Be Windows Worst Enemy" where they wrote "It was always a mystery how Microsoft would juggle Skype, the VoIP audio and video conferencing software it purchased for $8.5 billion in October 2011, with its mobile phone product. Now that problem appears to be affecting Nokia" The article quotes from here as well as having a link to the original HS story, and then says that in the USA the sentiment seems to be more anti-Apple in the carrier community, and it sounds like Windows Phone has more positive acceptance. The article ends with: "If foreign carriers are rejecting the Lumia specifically because of Skype, Microsoft has an $8.5 billion problem on its hands."

There is a story at Wall Street Cheat Sheet which runs a short version, entitled "Here's More Bad News for Nokia" The reporting picks up on the Nokia spin and says "No matter how the company tries to spin it, it seems Nokia’s comeback has backfired." And the article ends with "Microsoft will be pre-installing Skype in Windows Phone 8, which could create even more issues with carriers.  According to mobile carriers, Microsoft can’t be operator friendly while simultaneously pushing Skype."

Channelnomics covers the story with the headline "Skype Stunting Microsoft, Nokia Turnaround". The article is long and only briefly mentions my blog, then goes on to interview other technology experts and explain more of the market dynamics. The article ends with this: "As for Nokia and Skype, the conflict is likely true. The unfortunate consequence is fewer Microsoft phones making it to market, which will hurt both Microsoft’s consumer and business efforts to revitalize its mobility fortunes."

The story of course is also spreading internationally. For example it is covered in Italy at Mobile Blog.It with title "Nokia conferma: Microsoft in trattative con gli operatori per trasformare Skype in uno strumento di guadagno" In the Netherlands, the Elsevier covered the story as "Nokia: 'Providers niet tevreden met Skype'". In China the Sina.Com site covers the story and Google Translate converts the Chinese title as "Analysts say Skype Affect the Nokia the Lumia Phone Sales." And many many more news stories in German, French, Swedish, Hungarian, etc.

So thats the early Electronic Echoes to this story. Meanwhile, I wrote a blog to explain the OTT provider threat to operators, ie Apple's iMessage and Blackberry Messenger and Whatsapp and Skype etc. It may be of interest. Meanwhile, I monitor the Electronic Echoes to the story and will keep my readers appraised. And I await the apology from John S Pope, recanting his claim that I, and this blog, have fabricated quotes about Stephen Elop.

Comments

[Zenman]

If you repeat the lie 1000 times it becomes a truth. Not true.

[Fan(atic)]

Only 2010 words, are you losing your touch?

Let us summarize it all in two paragraphs:

Tomi Ahonen, a 90's tech guy trying to make living in selling calendars and books, by keeping an awful noise about his former employer. He call people names and goes personal, even without being confronted or questioned. After 1.5 year of personal slander against anybody he knows by name at Nokia, someone finally asks him to stop or at least to stop picking words and facts out of context.
Now Mr Tomi Ahonen goes ballistic, how can anyone question his authority and right to go slander people 24/7 on the web? Now Tomi Ahonen is engaging in a one-sided and asymmetrical warfare (if I read him right) - anything goes, blow up children if it makes some noise. I'm sorry Tomi, you might be a terrorist, but very few notice you, and even fewer care. You are literally Mr Nobody!

[JJ]

That dog yelps, which the stick hits.

[JD!]

If things are not correctly said, why Nokia is taking this seriously?
They can avoid.. But not... As they know they are going down.
"All things go in one way... When the end is near"

[JD!]

Forgot this...
What is it that Nokia has done right since management change???

[Ken]

Hey, Tomi, something very interesting here:

101 REASONS NOT TO BUY A WINDOWS PHONE 7.5
http://my-symbian.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44034

Amazing! Mind Boggling! If this gets out Lumia is doomed!

[anti]

Tomi is a guy who wants to be someone huh?

[vladkr]

Congratulation Tomi, you're replacing Eldar Murtazin as Nokia's enemy #1!

Yes, the Skype affair is widespread all over the world now, although Nokia didn't need any more damage to its reputation.

Other news that aren't good for Nokia:
DEALTALK-Nokia's woes might call for Microsoft aid
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/06/nokia-microsoft-idUSL5E8G4AR220120506

http://www.intomobile.com/2012/05/08/nokia-close-their-ruoholahti-office-helsinki-finland/

[sepi]

http://www.intomobile.com/2012/05/08/nokia-close-their-ruoholahti-office-helsinki-finland/

This article doesn't mention that Nokia is only relocating its research centre closer to Aalto university and EIT. Intomobile is only trying exaggarate things.

[Tomi T Ahonen]

Hi Zenman, Fan, JJ, JD, Ken, anti and vladkr

Zenman - and the truth, said 1000 times still remains the truth. I asked John Pope to show me one quotation of Elop that is fabricated. He ran away and said he doesn't need to prove what he said.

Fan - haha, yeah, totally losing it. Don't worry longer blogs are coming again. Now, I like the picture you drew of my terrorist alter-ego, a nice little Bond villain there. The facts don't sit with that view. I have not had a 1.5 year attack against Nokia here. I was initially TOTALLY supportive of Elop. Even after severe shock of Feb 11, 2011 (1 year, 3 months ago) I wrote clearly on this blog, while I think it is highly risky and my personal view is it will fail, the Microsoft strategy might work for Nokia and we must give it time to see if it does. I said the time frame to know if it is succeeding is about 2 years so end of 2012. That all changed when Microsoft bought Skype, and when I could clearly see in June 2011, that Nokia's Microsoft mission is a suicide mission, I started to call for its end, and for alternate plans. But also, if you read this blog, I have not been only critical, even of Elop. I have recognized him when he has (rarely) done something right, like reversing his originally stupid numbering/naming plan, and when he finally in later Lumia models reversed some of the anti-consumer design issues (removable battery etc). And finally Fan, as long as you are here, it really doesn't matter if nobody else cares about me, I am still a somebody. I felt so diminished by your posting, obviously.. Cheers!

JJ - Se koira alahtaa johon..

JD - ok on first comment. On second, hmm.. Nokia had a lot of bloated staff, and the rapid early firing was the right move. Since then, as Nokia became unprofitable, more recently the cuts have gone too deep, but I was very openly supportive of the early several thousands of staff cuts, painful as they always are. I'd be tempted to say the faster delivery timetibles, are another good change, but they haven't worked. Each of the first 3 Lumias has had unacceptable production problems, these are due to rushed delivery. I can't think of much else. The wheels came off on Feb 11 and since then, Elop has pretty well done the worst management job imaginable - and its not just obsessed Tomi Ahonen who says so, so say for example CNBC who rank Elop now among the worst CEOs worlwide still holding office.

Ken - hilarious. I twittered it already.

anti - yeah, I have a huge ego. But I think I also might already be somebody. How many press articles quote you anti? I stopped counting at 500..

vladkr - haha, no, nobody can replace Eldar but its nice to be considered in that category, even if only momentarily. And thanks for the links. Did you also catch the news the Russian exclusive Nokia reseller is in final talks to abandon Nokia and become exclusive Samsung dealership. OUCH !!

Keep comments coming, I'll return with more replies soon

Tomi Ahonen :-)

[Peter]

It’s simply baffling how you choose not to accept what has been told to you repeatedly: It is not about you actually misquoting Elop. It is about you using his few statements about the matter misleadingly as an admitted proof for everything you have said previously about Skype-Nokia-operator relationships.

Let’s make it very simple:

THIS STATEMENT:

“…if operator doesn’t want Skype installed on a Windows Phone from Nokia or any other company, then the operator can make that decision.” –Stephen Elop

DOES NOT SAY THAT:

“He(Elop) furthermore admits, the Skype issue has resulted in some carriers actually refusing to carry Lumia."

“…problem so severe the CEO admits it is damaging Nokia smartphone sales.”

“Now Nokia CEO admits they are losing carriers and all operators hate Microsoft because of Skype. “

“Elop has admitted operators hate Skype and hate Nokia Lumia because of the Microsoft Skype connection.”

There. Four counts of using the quote for false assumptions right there. Four counts of pure bullshit. He does not say a word about how Skype is actually affecting the sales or willingness to carry Lumia handsets, he does not say anything about how operators see and deal with Nokia because of the Microsoft-Skype acquisition, and he certainly does not admit any of your conclusions about those. Any details about the topics you discuss are simply not there at all.

Elop’s words can be said to admit only three things: The operators do not like Skype (not really big news there), operators have the right to make a decision not to have Skype installed on WP devices they offer, and that they are negotiating with the operators about alternative business-models regarding VOIP services. See how I’ve used a lot of the word ‘admit’ in this text? That is the key here and also your problem. You could’ve said for example that:

“From Elop’s words it could be interpreted that operators hate also Nokia Lumia because of the Microsoft Skype connection.”

That would’ve been completely ok, as you are entitled to your opinion and viewpoint. But when you just choose to say whatever you wish and twist words while doing it, it becomes a problem. As you have a lot of influence in this area and whatever you say usually goes far in the Internet, it’s even more irresponsible to report your viewpoints like this.

You should finally see that this “attack” you speak of is simply Nokia people finally getting fed about you reporting your ill-conceived conclusions as absolute truth, and informing you about it. That’s something that does not deserve any form of apology.

[vladkr]

@Tomi: Yes, I saw that Nokia official reseller in Russia will become Samsung ones (first speculations were about multi-brand stores).

There is also another news from WP Komsomol "Windows Phone is outselling iOS in Russia":
http://wmpoweruser.com/windows-phone-devices-outselling-iphones-in-russia/

In fact, "Russia" is MTS (biggest communication company in Russia), and iPhones are 3x more expensive than Lumia 710 and 1.6x more expensive than Lumia 800.

More information about MTS sales in Q1 2012 that may interest you:
http://www.mtsgsm.com/blog/file.axd?file=2012%2F4%2FRetail+Report+Q1+2012.pdf

P.S.
MTS is number one in Russia with 102.7M subscribers
Beeline is number two in Russia with 199M subscribers
Megafon is number three in Russia with 62.8M subscribers
(* Source = wikipedia and providers websites, so don't complain to me about figures)

[Luca]

Ciao Tomi,
I agree with what Peter said, of course you are entitled to have your own opinions (which I personally agree with, by the way) but you are presenting them as facts too much.
Time will probably prove you right but since then you are just another Cassandra… Now that you stated your point you only need to wait near the river and wait for your enemy corpse. Or you may be accused of having shot him, instead of being recognized as the one who first spot the shooter.
So, even if I think Nokia PR people were very wrong engaging a courtyard fight about what has been said and what has not, I don’t think that deserve a formal apology.
By the way, this be the chance to congratulate with you for your nice blog, I find it very interesting, full of deep analysis and useful. The same goes for most of the discussions I read here.
Ciao
Luca
p.s. I was in Oulu in 1998 and had a chance of visiting a Nokia plant, I remember I felt very pride of my 5110 in my pocket… I would love to feel that pride again.

[Kaien]

I think one word describes your post: Overreaction

Certainly you are right if, Elop made such a statement, which I recall he did. However, considering what Nokia is today, I think that asking for apology is too much considering how much you bashed Nokia leadership (with a righteous reason, may I add!).
Besides according to generally accepted principle of free speech everyone is entitled to their opinion, even if that opinion does not coincide with yours. Theoretically fact is fact, but practically people tend to bend facts to suit their needs, be these facts political, commercial etc., and even you are not free from that habit.

[Kirill Zelenski]

hi Tomi.
Great! they just made additional ad for you.

DeVard, Savander and Pope will never apologise, be sure. ) they fully support Elop and vice versa. I could say more, while Savander is old Nokia guy and only reason he is not resigned yet he dont care at all, DeVard is bringed to Nokia by Elop, she is doing nothing and Pope seems the same.

and yes, dont worry, you will never become like murtazin. he is stupid, ussing only rumors, your blog to write "own" - you are smart and use your knowledge. :)

[Alin]

Hi Tomi, many of your readers are with you, like me!

To Peter, those are Tomi's conclusions, not Elops' quotes, anyone can have opinions, like it or not! Nokia should do better to not even let place for such opinions, but since Elop is in charge, only suspicious actions had been taken, and blogs and social sites are for that reason, to exprime opinions!!! Tomi is indeed a NAME in this industry and would not take a risk with his writtings.

[PeterElgin]

@tomi,

Someone used my long term name Peter that might confuse you in your blog.

I am a nokia investor who has advocated the firing, suing and arresting of Steven Elop and Olilla Jorma since 2/11/2011.

Now I'll changed my blog name to PeterElgin to clarify confusion.

Tomi, you has been correct about skype.
No need to debate further with Elop hired trolls.

We are true nokia shareholders, not like those Wall Street Short sellers who hold 15% shares in total while sold short 30% in another hand of nokia shares.

These trolls are hired by Elop who himself is hired by these Wall Street Short sellers like Goldman Sucks.

Elop is dispatched into nokia to dismantle nokia from inside via the hand of Olilla Jorman, the crony agent of Wall Street Bankers.

That's why he dumped promising propducts like N8/N9/N950 and previous management team who had the right strategy.

Keep your good analysis and ignore trolls who are hired by Elop to distract your insights and precious work which will be used in the suit against Steven Elop in US Court.

Regards,
PeterElgin

[vladkr]

@Kirill :
Most Murtazin's information that was considered as rumours appeared to be true.

He was the first to announce MS-Nokia partnership before it became official, like Tomi he made precise forecasts of Nokia's situation, he announced a high-end phone using Symbian well before 808 was shown (though he was wrong about its design) when everybody thought it would be 100% WP, and so on.

Off course he made mistakes, but most of time, he was right.

You can have a closer look to the website his involved in (Mobile Review), and you'll see he's much more serious than you think.

[cycnus]

@Peter

Tomi didn't do wrong.
It just like when Elop were judged,
and when the lawyer (nokia shareholder) were questioning Elop.
Elop lie, but the jury (tomi) can see right thru him.

What make me curious,
why you were keep hitting tomi and saying tomi wrong.
Why don't you see that there were a bigger problem here,
that Elop lie, and this could ruin nokia
If you were here for nokia, you should be worry more about elop lying that tomi exposed it.

BTW,
when reading tomi post,
and I read comment like baron01-baron95, I mean you (peter), tomifan, and other conversation.nokia.com alias in here.
I know Tomi were successful in showing the public what went wrong with nokia.

[Kirill Zelenski]

hi vladkr.

Nokia MS cooperation was very clear for everybody inside Nokia (at least Nokia House in Espoo) and even outside, months before he "disclosed" it.

I know his mobilereview. :)) I was working at Nokia in HQ and know how when and what murtazin was publishing about Nokia. i had a possibility to compare with facts, in both english and russian. Tomi is predicting future, murtazin is not. he only can predict something by disclosing internal NDA info, if he have (now mostly not, because everyone know him already) which is illegal. if not, he is even not able to analyse current open things - he haveno clue how to read financial reports etc.. his russian language is even worse than english...
I stopped to read it totally and can only recommend do the same.

I have lot to say about this person, but just dont want to spend my time for it. it is laughingstock of telecom.
))))))))))))