Nokia Asha Platform Unlocks Sub-100 USD Smartph...
New Asha platform delivers developers a consistent quality application experience in the world's fastest growing smartphone category
New Delhi, India and Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced a global initiative to unlock the sub-100 USD smartphone market for developers with the release of its Nokia Asha platform. Nokia also announced the Nokia Asha 501, the first smartphone built for the new platform.
Developers who write applications for the Nokia Asha 501 will reach all smartphones based on the new Asha platform without having to re-write code. Nokia expects to sell 100 million of the new generation Asha smartphones over the coming years, beginning with the Nokia Asha 501.
"We've seen a tremendous increase in consumer demand for apps for our Asha smartphones, as witnessed by the growth of downloads in Nokia Store," said Marco Argenti, head of Developer Experiences at Nokia. "Consumers expect quality apps at every price point. With the new Asha platform, developers will be incentivized to deliver those quality apps, previously found only on high-end smartphones, thanks to unprecedented volumes and reach opportunities through one distribution channel and a single platform."
Many of the most popular applications are already available or in development for the Nokia Asha platform, including CNN, eBuddy, ESPN, Facebook, Foursquare, Line, LinkedIn, Nimbuzz, Pictelligent, The Weather Channel, Twitter, WeChat, World of Red Bull and games from Electronic Arts, Gameloft, Indiagames, Namco-Bandai and Reliance Games. WhatsApp and other key partners continue to explore new Asha.
Developers will also get easy-to-use development tools and more ways to sell and promote apps, including the new Nokia In-App Payment tool.
New Nokia Asha SDK 1.0 and Nokia Asha web app tools
The new Nokia Asha Software Development Kit 1.0 is a suite of tools that support the development, testing, packaging and deployment of Java apps on the Nokia Asha platform.
The new Nokia Asha web app tools include a Web Development Environment (WDE), an integrated development environment (IDE) that developers can use to create and edit their Nokia Asha web apps; Web Inspector to help developers to debug and inspect elements in their web apps; and a new Web Designer Tool for creating great user experience for their web apps.
Nokia In-App Payment
Nokia also announced the new Nokia In-App Payment tool, designed to make it easier for developers to sell content from within their apps. It provides a simple and secure purchase experience for consumers and transparent payments for developers. Nokia In-App Payment will also be available for existing Asha and Series 40 phones, such as the Nokia 301. Nokia will release a public beta of Nokia In-App Payment in the coming weeks. Developers can sign-up for the beta at www.developer.nokia.com/inapppayment.
Developers voice support for new Nokia Asha platform
Dennis Crowley, CEO and co-founder of Foursquare:"Nokia continues to be a valued partner for Foursquare. The new Foursquare app on Asha delivers a fantastic search and discovery experience to help people make the most of where they are. As we head into the next wave of new Asha smartphones, we look forward to making Foursquare available for millions of Asha customers around the world."
Michael Fisher, Director of Mobile Business Development, Twitter: "Twitter's integration into the new Asha platform, along with preloaded Twitter application that ships on Nokia devices, offers people a richer Twitter experience. Whether you want to share a photo or news article, connect with people or find out what's happening around the world, it's now easier than ever to use Twitter on this family of devices."
Sebastien Thevenet, General Manager SEA-Pacific, Gameloft:"As Nokia's long term partner, with to date 200 million downloads recorded on Nokia Store, Gameloft is thrilled to offer four preloaded high quality games on the Nokia Asha 501 at launch (Assassin's Creed 3, Bubble Bash 3, Real Football 2013, Little Big City) and overall more than 30 games to download on Nokia Store down the track. Those innovative titles are Try and Buy and Free to Play games making the most of Asha Full Touch capabilities and unique user interface, truly bringing a smartphone gaming experience at your fingertips."
Akira Morikawa, CEO of Line Corporation:"Line's partnership with Nokia is very important and it will continue on new Asha. Delivering Line on new Asha represents our commitment of ensuring that people around the world will experience the joy of communication through Line on Asha smartphones."
Manish Agarwal, CEO, Reliance Games: "Reliance Games and Nokia have together demonstrated the combined power of localized content and a distribution platform in India. Our partnership with Nokia is a very cherished partnership for us to demonstrate the power of GoLocal. Reliance Games is committed to develop games on localized themes on the new Asha platform and entertain millions of people around the world by working closely with local Nokia teams in India, Asia Pacific, Latin America and other growth markets."
Keshav Bajaj, VP Business Development, Nimbuzz:"Most of the 150 million and counting Nimbuzz users are from markets where Nokia Asha continues to gain momentum, including India, South East Asia, Middle East and Africa. We are very excited to have an application exclusively built for the new Asha platform to ensure the best user experience. This is yet another initiative from Nimbuzz for one of its most exclusive partners, Nokia."
Alex Adjadj, Director of Strategic Development, Mobile Sales & Marketing, Namco-Bandai: "NAMCO BANDAI has been developing mobile games for over 10 years but there are still regions of the world where users haven't seen or played PAC-MAN. Our 22 titles available in 13 languages for the Nokia Asha 501 is a testament to our commitment to Nokia to bring a great experience to mobile users of all demographics and budgets."
Ramesh Kumar, Head of ESPNcricinfo and ESPN Digital Media India:"Given the popularity of Asha devices, the ESPNcricinfo app on the Asha 2013 platform is a dynamic way to reach growing numbers of mobile users in emerging markets. It is a rich platform where the ESPNcricinfo app can provide comprehensive cricket coverage tailored to suit on-the-go consumption of today's passionate fans, including its famed match coverage, the latest news stories, insightful editorial pieces covering International & domestic cricket - all tailor-made for mobile consumption."
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
It should be noted that Nokia and its business are exposed to various risks and uncertainties and certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those regarding: A) the expected plans and benefits of our partnership with Microsoft to bring together complementary assets and expertise to form a global mobile ecosystem for smartphones; B) the timing and expected benefits of our strategies, including expected operational and financial benefits and targets as well as changes in leadership and operational structure; C) the timing of the deliveries of our products and services; D) our ability to innovate, develop, execute and commercialize new technologies, products and services; E) expectations regarding market developments and structural changes; F) expectations and targets regarding our industry volumes, market share, prices, net sales and margins of our products and services; G) expectations and targets regarding our operational priorities and results of operations; H) expectations and targets regarding collaboration and partnering arrangements; I) the outcome of pending and threatened litigation, regulatory proceedings or investigations by authorities; J) expectations regarding the successful completion of restructurings, investments, acquisitions and divestments on a timely basis and our ability to achieve the financial and operational targets set in connection with any such restructurings, investments, acquisitions and divestments; and K) statements preceded by "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "foresee," "target," "estimate," "designed," "aim", "plans," "intends," "will" or similar expressions. These statements are based on management's best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Because they involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from the results that we currently expect. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: 1) our ability to make the Windows Phone ecosystem a competitive and profitable global ecosystem that achieves sufficient scale, value and attractiveness to relevant market participants, making Nokia products with Windows Phone a competitive choice for consumers; 2) our success in the smartphone market, including our ability to introduce and bring to market quantities of attractive, competitively priced Nokia products with Windows Phone that are positively differentiated from our competitors' products, both outside and within the Windows Phone ecosystem; 3) our ability to produce attractive and competitive devices in our Mobile Phones business unit, including feature phones and devices with features such as full touch that can be categorized as smartphones, in a timely and cost efficient manner with differentiated hardware, software, localized services and applications; 4) the success of our HERE strategy, including our ability to establish a successful location-based platform and extend our location-based services across devices and operating systems; 5) our ability to provide support for our Devices & Services business and maintain current and create new sources of revenue from our location-based service and commerce assets; 6) our ability to protect numerous patented standardized or proprietary technologies from third-party infringement or actions to invalidate the intellectual property rights of these technologies; 7) our ability to maintain the existing sources of intellectual property related revenue and establish new such sources; 8) the intensity of competition in the various markets where we do business and our ability to maintain or improve our market position or respond successfully to changes in the competitive environment; 9) our ability to keep momentum and increase our speed of innovation, product development and execution in order to bring new innovative and competitive mobile products and location-based or other services to the market in a timely manner; 10) the success of our partnership with Microsoft in connection with the Windows Phone ecosystem; 11) our ability to effectively and smoothly implement the planned changes in our operational structure and achieve targeted efficiencies and reductions in operating expenses; 12) our ability to retain, motivate, develop and recruit appropriately skilled employees; 13) our dependence on the development of the mobile and communications industry, including location-based and other services industries, in numerous diverse markets, as well as on general economic conditions globally and regionally; 14) our ability to maintain and leverage our traditional strengths in the mobile products market, especially if we are unable retain the loyalty of our mobile operator and distributor customers and consumers as a result of the implementation of our strategies or other factors; 15) the performance of the parties we partner and collaborate with, including Microsoft and our ability to achieve successful collaboration or partnering arrangements; 16) our ability to deliver our mobile products profitably, in line with quality requirements and on time, especially if the limited number of suppliers we depend on, many of which are geographically concentrated with a majority based in Asia, fail to deliver sufficient quantities of fully functional products, components, sub-assemblies, software and services on favorable terms and in compliance with our supplier requirements; 17) our ability to manage efficiently our manufacturing and logistics, as well as to ensure the quality, safety, security and timely delivery of our products and services; 18) any actual or even alleged defects or other quality, safety and security issues in our products; 19) any inefficiency, malfunction or disruption of a system or network that our operations rely on; 20) the impact of cybersecurity breach or other factors leading to an actual or alleged loss, improper disclosure or leakage of any personal or consumer data collected by us or our partners or subcontractors, made available to us or stored in or through our products; 21) our ability to successfully manage the pricing of our products and costs related to our products and our operations; 22) the potential complex tax issues and obligations we may face, including the obligation to pay additional taxes in various jurisdictions and our actual or anticipated performance, among other factors, could result in allowances related to deferred tax assets; 23) exchange rate fluctuations, particularly between the euro, which is our reporting currency, and the US dollar, the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan, as well as certain other currencies; 24) our ability to protect the technologies, which we or others develop or which we license, from claims that we have infringed third parties' intellectual property rights, as well as our unrestricted use on commercially acceptable terms of certain technologies in our product and services; 25) the impact of economic, regulatory, political or other development on our sales, manufacturing facilities and assets located in emerging market countries as well as the impact of regulations against imports to those countries; 26) the impact of changes in and enforcement of government policies, technical standards, trade policies, laws or regulations in countries where our assets are located and where we do business; 27) investigations or claims by contracting parties in relation to exits from countries, areas or contractual arrangements; 28) unfavorable outcome of litigation, regulatory proceedings or investigations by authorities; 29) allegations of possible health risks from electromagnetic fields generated by base stations and mobile devices, and the lawsuits and publicity related to them, regardless of merit; 30) Nokia Siemens Networks' success in the mobile broadband infrastructure and related services market and its ability to effectively, profitably and timely adapt business and operations to the diverse needs of its customers; 31) Nokia Siemens Networks' ability to maintain and improve its market position and respond successfully to changes and competition in the mobile broadband infrastructure and related services market; 32) Nokia Siemens Networks' success in implementing its restructuring plan and reducing its operating expenses and other costs; 33) Nokia Siemens Networks' ability to invest in and timely introduce new competitive products, services, upgrades and technologies; 34) Nokia Siemens Networks' dependence on limited number of customers and large, multi-year contracts; 35) Nokia Siemens Networks' liquidity and its ability to meet its working capital requirements, including access to available credit under its financing arrangements and other credit lines as well as cash at hand; 36) the management of Nokia Siemens Networks' customer financing exposure; 37) whether ongoing or any additional governmental investigations of alleged violations of law by some former employees of Siemens may involve and affect the carrier-related assets and employees transferred by Siemens to Nokia Siemens Networks; 38) any impairment of Nokia Siemens Networks customer relationships resulting from ongoing or any additional governmental investigations involving the Siemens carrier-related operations transferred to Nokia Siemens Networks, as well as the risk factors specified on pages 12-47 of Nokia's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2012 under Item 3D. "Risk Factors." Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proving to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Nokia does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required.
About Nokia
Nokia is a global leader in mobile communications whose products have become an integral part of the lives of people around the world. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people use their Nokia to capture and share experiences, access information, find their way or simply to speak to one another. Nokia's technological and design innovations have made its brand one of the most recognized in the world. For more information, visit http://www.nokia.com/about-nokia.
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Source: NOKIA via Thomson Reuters ONE
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