Nokia Life Tools Pilot Shows High Appeal for Livelihood and Life Improvement Services in India
ESPOO,
recently concluded the pilot phase of its pioneering Life Tools service in
Maharashtra,
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
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
2008
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
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.
SOURCE Nokia Corporation