crushed by Apple and Android<\/a>. This makes us wonder what the company could have done differently to stay competitive in the industry dominated by smartphones.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNokia was a leader in the phone space. Its cellphones had a quality antenna, microphone, speakers, and display. However, the major disruption that happened in Nokia\u2019s supply chain during its era was the operating system \u2013 android and iOS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To avoid losing its position as a leader in the telephone market, Nokia could have captured these disruptions in the supply chain at early stages and assessed its impact on its business. Incorporating those innovations in its products would have allowed the company to stay competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nokia kept its focus on antenna and restricted their patents to this area only. The company was rigid about its operating system\u2018SymbianOS\u2019 and did not bank on the opportunity of diverifying their patent portfolio in the OS domain. The telecom firm resisted the new operating system – Android, an open platform that was fully leveraged by other smartphone manufacturers since Google doesn\u2019t operate in the smartphone space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Therefore, Nokia\u2019s rigidity ended its monopoly in the telecom space, allowing competitors to gain ground. The Finnish tech firm profoundly underestimated the importance of innovations in the operating system industry and people\u2019s changing preferences. On the contrary, had Nokia been diligent towards the supply chain disruptions, the story of the company would have been different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>How IP Departments Can Help in Tracking Supply Chain<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNow that we realize the importance of tracking supply chains to spot tech trends, it is also crucial to carry out the process efficiently. Knowing the crucial role of patent intelligence in tracking and monitoring disruptive technology, the role of an IP department in the process becomes clear \u2013 they provide accurate and relevant patent intelligence to business departments, offering them insights to make important decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While IP departments deal with protecting and enforcing intellectual property, they can also join forces with the business intelligence departments to provide competitive intelligence. They gain this expertise via years of experience after working with inventors, research and development organizations, and IP law firms. Their inputs can be critical in determining new technologies that can affect businesses in future. Furthermore, they can help in assessing where the next technological disruption will come from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n