Ex-Nokians ready to revolutionize the mobile phone business

Two Tampere-based companies founded by ex-Nokians, Piceasoft and Varsta Software Oy, have made a cooperation agreement that will change buying a phone, whether it be a new one or an old one, to be a lot easier and safer. The products generated as a result of the cooperation are aimed, above all, at operators, device repairers and vendors, but ultimately they serve the consumer.

The background for the cooperation lies in Piceasoft’s product for transferring information from one’s old phone to their new phone, and Varsta Software’s products that enable the recycling of mobile phones. The companies’ products provide seamless support to one another, and are a powerful solution compared to existing brand-based solutions offered by different mobile phone manufacturers.

The business of recycled mobile phones will grow to 8 percent by 2018
Currently, one of the fastest growing areas of the mobile phone business is the market for used phones. Estimates made by market research bureaus on the market growth of used mobiles phones are all similar, and the growth is estimated to rise up to 8 percent of the total market by 2018. In 2012, the percentage of used mobiles phones was about 3. Apple devices especially have an established aftermarket, and this year’s phenomenon is that what sells fast are devices in the higher price range.

The Piceasoft product catalogue already includes the PiceaSwitch, which aids the consumer at the time of purchase: PiceaSwitch enables information transfer between devices made by different manufactures. With the agreement, Piceasoft’s current product family is complemented with the technologies of Varsta Software:

• PiceaDiagnostics establishes the device’s condition and exchange value.
• PiceaEraser empties the device’s memory. Afterwards, the consumer who is either giving their mobile away or selling it to be recycled can rest assure that no personal information will end up in anyone else’s hands.

In addition to these solutions, PiceaReporting offers real time information on the phone markets to phone manufacturers, operators and other mobile phone vendors. This is how one can reliably get immediate and comprehensive information on, for example, the effectiveness of their marketing campaign.

PiceaSwitch frees the consumer to choose between different brands
PiceaSwitch, which was launched last spring, enables information transfer between mobile phones made by different device manufacturers. It is estimated that about a couple of billion mobile phones are sold globally each year. Approximately 10-30 percent of people who buy a mobile phone need to transfer information from one mobile to another.

The application is in demand, because mobiles phones these days have, among others, more and more images, videos, calendars, contact information and game data stored in their memory. Each device manufacturer has their own applications meant to strengthen brand loyalty – applications that ease information transfer between devices belonging to the same brand. But the consumer wants to choose their brand themselves. With the help of PiceaSwitch, the consumer can now pick up where they left off as they leave the store – all their information has been transferred between their old and new devices.

"I see great possibilities in the cooperation with Varsta Software. Together, we are able to bring a larger service package to the market than what the companies would be able to do individually. This enables a product offering that is suitable for many different parties, and will expand the clientele of Piceasoft even further. In this case, one plus one is much more than two", says Piceasoft CEO Jyri Roselius.

"Our applications are unique while the need for them is imminent. PiceaDiagnostics and PiceaEraser enable the recycling of mobile phones back to the market in a whole new way, and safely. And it’s not just about materials recycling. This way, the device gets a whole new life either as such, or as a repaired guaranteed product", says Varsta Software CEO Jukka Tuomi.

Learn more:
Piceasoft Oy
Varsta Software Oy