Nokia and German ICT giants SAP and Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) have formed a new company to offer anti-piracy technology and services.

 

The new company, Original1 - which will be headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany - is expected to begin operations by the end of the year, Nokia said. 

 

Original1 will target counterfeit products in diverse industries, including mobile phones. It will use SAP's authentication technology, Nokia's mobile application software and G&D's security solutions to allow businesses to follow a branded product's entire life cycle.

 

Claudia Alsdorf, currently vice president of SAP Research, will head up the new venture. 

 

“Counterfeiting is a worldwide problem that is increasing and affecting many successful companies in all industries," Alsdorf said.

 

“We see a big business opportunity in brand protection services,” Nokia general manager Antti-Jussi Suominen said.