Nokia Life Tools pilot shows high appeal for li...
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Commercial launch of the service in India in the first half of 2009
Espoo, Finland - Nokia recently concluded the pilot phase of its
pioneering Life Tools service in Maharashtra, India, and the results
show that subscribers are reaping the benefits. Extensive feedback
from actual subscribers revealed that the service had wide appeal,
and connected with subscribers at both emotional and functional
levels.
Nokia Life Tools will launch commercially India-wide in the first
half of 2009. The service will be enabled in the Nokia 2320 and Nokia
2323, which will soon begin shipping, and on more devices to be
announced later in the year.
"The creation of Nokia Life Tools is from the ground up: it is built
by a team that immersed itself in the rural conditions and did
extensive research to understand how people led their lives, the
kinds of services they were currently receiving, and what they wanted
to see as changes or improvements," said D Shivakumar, Vice President
and General Manager, Nokia India. "The results from the pilot in
Maharashtra are testimony that Nokia still plays a very relevant role
in people's lives - connecting them in new and better ways through
devices that they continue to love, and services that help them
improve their lives."
Users of the Agriculture Service described that they were better
informed about market rates for their produce. Farmers found that
getting prices daily on their mobile phones reduced their dependency
on agents for basic information. Now with greater awareness on market
conditions, there was newfound confidence in their negotiations with
the agents. There was also resounding appreciation for the time and
money saved from not having to make multiple trips to the market
place to get the latest rates.
"I believe in working rigorously to enhance my livelihood and
lifestyle and I expect that Nokia Life Tools services will help me in
validating the desired information," said a farmer and trader from
Tuljapur, Amravati.
Benefitting from the Agriculture service also related to having
advanced information about weather, news and crop advisory services
like information about probable diseases, weather based disruptions
and tips for more successful harvests. Farmers could plan labour,
sowing, harvesting and selling better, and with more predictable
results than they were able to before they started using Life Tools.
Learn English and General Knowledge subscribers all claimed
confidence and empowerment as key motivators and benefits for the
services. For many, learning English was an aspiration which was
finally achievable. Better performance in job interviews and career
prospects, enhanced image and social standing also featured highly
and frequently in the feedback.
A 25-year-old second-year Master of Arts student in Hindi, who is
also a trader and owns an electronics repair and CD shop, said:
"Nokia Life Tools has given me many directions that I can take
related to my education, agriculture business and my overall
individual status. It has the potential to change my future."
The pilot program of Nokia Life Tools in India was launched in
December 2008, with services in Agriculture, Learn English, General
Knowledge and Astrology. During the pilot period, buyers of the Nokia
2600 classic or the Nokia 1680 classic - which came enabled with the
service - had the option to purchase subscriptions to the Nokia Life
Tools services that were most relevant to them. Results showed that a
significant number of subscribers had signed up for approximately two
of the services on average, reflecting that the services were
relevant to a wide cross-section of the society.
"The success of the Nokia Life Tools pilot can be attributed to the
fact that it honed in on consumers' specific pain points, and
addressed several unmet needs in the areas that were crucial to them
in their daily lives," said Jawahar Kanjilal, Global Head of Emerging
Markets Services, Nokia. "By continuously sharpening our offerings
and providing the most relevant services, we intend to make Nokia
Life Tools extremely relevant and indispensible to the target users."
About Nokia
Nokia is the world's number one manufacturer of mobile devices by
market share and a leader in the converging Internet and
communications industries. We make a wide range of devices for all
major consumer segments and offer Internet services that enable
people to experience music, maps, media, messaging and games. We also
provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ and
equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through
Nokia Siemens Networks.
Media Enquiries:
Nokia
Communications
Tel. +358 7180 34900
Email: press.services@nokia.com
www.nokia.com
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