Nokia Life Tools pilot shows high appeal for livelihood and life improvement services in India

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.