Following a successful lead in the state of Maharashtra, Nokia publicized the commercial launch of its revolutionary Nokia Life Tools service in India. These services include a series of Agriculture, Education and Entertainment services that precisely deal with the information gaps of consumers. The service firstly would enter the markets in Maharashtra in an alliance with the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB).
Nokia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the MSAMB. The MOU states that MSAMB will offer expertise in the areas of commodity prices from their network of 291 local marketyards. Additionally it also gets a chance to distribute appropriate news, alerts on schemes and other information directly to grassroot consumers.
“We are happy that Maharashtra is the first state in India to go live with the Nokia Life Tools services in association with the state marketing board. Empowering our people with the right tools and facilities is a top priority for the State Government. I would like to congratulate Nokia for developing a unique and innovative service that has tremendous potential to improve lives and the livelihood of farmers and sub-urban consumers in Maharashtra,” remarked Shri. Ashok Chavan, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
These services are icon-based, and provide a graphically rich user interface that comes complete with tables. Additionally it can show information in two languages concurrently. SMS is used to deliver vital information to ascertain that this service works anywhere a mobile phone works, without the need for any additional settings or the need for GPRS coverage. Nokia has teamed up with multiple associates across the Indian Government and private enterprises to organize an affluent ecosystem to distribute localized & personalized information directly to consumers’ Life Tools loaded phones.
Mr. D Shivakumar, Managing Director, Nokia India quoted, “Nokia Life Tools was a result of the entire ecosystem coming together and is ideally placed to usher in an information revolution impacting the daily lives of people. We extend our sincere thanks to MSAMB and our key partners for believing in and supporting our vision of ‘empowering people and connecting them to the things that matter’. We believe this is the beginning of a historical journey that will take mobility to grassroots and make a positive difference to the lives of people in the areas that are crucial to them.”
The Nokia Life Tools Agriculture service offers customers 2 choices. The basic plan offers daily weather updates and suitable agriculture-related news, advice and tips. This service is available all over India monthly at Rs 30. The premium plan is accessible in 10 states, including Maharashtra at Rs 60 per month. It offers subscribers with the closest market prices for three crops chosen by them. Moreover they are acquainted with weather, news, information on pesticides, fertilizers and much more.
The Nokia Life Tools Education service is available all across India and offers three components. The first component is Learn English, with basic, intermediate and advanced levels. Secondly, the Exam preparation component offers students tips and advice for ICSE, CBSE and State Board-level exams planned according to the suitable curriculum. Finally it includes General Knowledge that provides subscribers with valuable world wide information. EnableM contributes information and content from several local and international companies and sends it to Nokia Life Tools.
Nokia Life Tools Entertainment services is packaged with enjoyable features for subscribers, including Astrology, News, Jokes, Cricket and ringtones, and will be presented at the current market prices. The content is combined and introduced on Life Tools by OnMobile.
Jawahar Kanjilal, Nokia’s Global Head of Emerging Markets Services, quoted, “As mobile coverage increases to cover the millions of unconnected, Nokia – in India and in other emerging markets around the world – will work together with mobile operators, multiple government and private enterprises, and non-government organizations to empower millions by connecting them to better opportunities that have a positive impact on their daily lives.”
The complete Nokia Life Tools solution will be available on the recent Nokia 2323 classic and Nokia 2330 classic handsets, and will be later extended to other Nokia devices. Education services will be offered monthly at Rs 30. These services will be extended to select countries across Asia and Africa later in 2009 and beyond.