Nokia and 3M (News - Alert), two global giants with smart product portfolios, recently announced initiatives that illustrate the increased convergence of smart ecosystems across industry sectors as we move into 2010. 3M is set to launch a new Mobile Interactive Solutions Division, a move that should herald some interesting breakthroughs in smartphone screen displays, projection and touch capabilities.

 

This new division will consolidate 3M’s Projection System Department and Specialty Display Products unit and will become a part of the Graphics and Display business, so a safe prediction is that new mobile products from the 3M Mobile Interactive Solutions will feature the enhancement and wider availability of embedded micro projectors for mobile devices. Since mobile projectors such as 3M’s MM200 already provide 50-inch screen projection using just 1 watt of power for illumination, we can expect to be displaying our mobile photos and videos to bigger audiences before long.

 

We can also look for more 3D images on our smartphones. Another display area where 3M has demonstrated smart technology breakthroughs is the development of sequential optical film that supports stereoscopic 3D images for mobile devices. Quite a bit lower on the technology scale, but probably a necessity to keep prying eyes away from personal messages and images, 3M offers a family of privacy films and protection screens for smartphones.

 

These are just the obvious mobile technology synergies that 3M featured in its press release about the new division. Given the advanced graphics and multi-touch screen inventions still coming out of the company that brought us Scotch Tape and Post-It notes, the formation of a dedicated mobile device division is likely to create some unexpected innovations for the next generation of mobile devices.

 

Could there be a 3M e-reader in the smart product mix for 2011?

 

Moving from telecommunication network services to energy management services is not so obvious, but executives at Nokia Siemens Networks (News - Alert) have decided to search for much-needed new revenues and growth in the already crowded smart grid and smart meter arena. On January 1, 2010 they will launch a new business division serving the energy sector as part of the company’s reorganized Business Solutions unit.

 

While they don’t have any direct implementation experience or research track record in serving utility companies or power grids, Nokia makes the claim that their expertise in managing wireless networks will map easily into the challenges of the smart grid and alternative energy resources, stating in a press release that “Nokia Siemens Networks aims to apply its existing charging, mediation, service management and network management solutions, and to work with third parties, to exploit opportunities in the intelligent energy market.”

 

To supplement their internal resources, Nokia Siemens seem to be relying on attracting some energy-savvy partners to create credibility in this new venture. It remains to be seen how much telecommunications networks really have in common with power grids and utility meters and whether Nokia Siemens can demonstrate their value to energy sector clients.