NOKIA BARES TEETH AT RIVALS UNLEASHES THE N8

Everything does rise and fall with leadership. Nokia's senior executives at this year's Nokia World and Developer Summit in London are issuing bold challenges to their glamorized North American rivals Apple and Google just days after their incoming CEO, Stephen Elop said he would take the battle to the only continent Nokia isn't the market leader in smartphones or mobile phones for that matter.

Today at the Nokia event held at the ExCEl in the London Docklands, the Nokia vice presidents were positively jumping with exuberance and relishing the challenge ahead.

Signs that the Finnish giant was issuing a call to battle began with Niklas Savander, VP markets who while acknowledging that Nokia was going through some tough times nonetheless issued a defiant statement of identity.

"We are not going to apologize for the fact that we are not Apple, or Google, or Samsung. We are Nokia!" Savander said. "Today we shift gear in Nokia's fightback!"

Taking a dig at Apple, the Nokia VP in clear reference to the iPhone said, "One product is not going satisfy everybody."

Nokia was ready with numbers to underline its position.

"People on average buy 260,000 Nokia smartphones a day, thats more than Apple and Android combined. It's more smartphones than any other company period!"

Nokia unleashed four new phones in total : The flagship N8, the C6 and the C7 and its modern day version of the communicator, the E7.

All will run on Symbian 3.

"We aremoving from legacy to leading!" a triumphant Savander said. The 55 million N8's that Nokia intends to ship this year is a "conservative" figure, Savander said.

Anssi Vanjoki, VP for markets, who followed the irrepressible Savander on stage, was no less bullish.

Of the N8, which comes with a 12megapixel camera. Vanjoki said: "It's not really fair to compare a regular handheld camera with shot from the N8."

The E7, Vanjoki said, was "hands down the best business phone out there.

The C6's display marks it out as it features CBD Clear Black Display!

Overall, the Nokia World and Developer Summit kicked off in a bullish mood.

Off to the Experience Lounge to see if these phones are actually deliver on the promise.

JIMMY THE MAN! KIBAKI'S AND MOBICOM

THE first family's hand has not been seen much in business as have their two predecessors save for the traditional businesses such as the Silver Springs Hotel but that can be claimed to discretion.

Nairobitech has established that the much touted Mobicom, lately a dealer of Safaricom and now in the Telkom Kenya camp has no less a personage than Jimmy Kibaki, son of Kenya's current president, behind it.

Speculation has been rife about the publicity-shy Paul Ndung'u, the chairman of Mobicom who also owns sizeable stakes in many listed companies on the Nairobi Stock Exchange but it would appear that he may be merely the front-man for Jimmy.

At their Gigiri premises, it turns out, Ndung'u plays second fiddle to Jimmy who is the effective chairman of a group called Lucia Enterprises.

Lucia Enterprises is the mother of two companies: Mobicom and BMK a company that runs a fleet of forex bureaus.

Those who know Ndung'u will recall he used to run a forex bureau along Kimathi Street together with an Indian businessman.

Before that he was at Uchumi Supermarkets.

Ndung'u and Jimmy are distant relatives.