Nokia must speed up transformation, exec says

FRANKFURT Nov 28 (Reuters) - Nokia (NOK1V.HE) needs to speedily boost its offering of mobile internet solutions, marketing head Anssi Vanjoki told a German magazine.

Nokia, the No. 1 global cellphone maker, needs to catch up with the rivals Apple (AAPL.O), Google (GOOG.O) and Blackberry-maker RIM (RIM.TO) in offering online solutions, Vanjoki was quoted as saying by weekly Wirtschaftswoche in an excerpt of an interview to be published on Monday.

Vanjoki did not rule out a sale of its core handset manufacturing business in the long term.

Nokia's mobile-device factories offered an important competitive advantage but one should "never say never" should a sale at some point be warranted as part of Nokia's transformation, he was quoted as saying. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger, editing by Mike Peacock) ((ludwig.burger@thomsonreuters.com; +49 69 7565 1311; Reuters Messaging: ludwig.burger.reuters.com@reuters.net))