Nokia has concluded the pilot phase of its pioneering “Life Tools” service, providing mobile users in emerging markets with agricultural information, educational tools, and entertainment services that are easily accessible and user friendly. The company said the results showed 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, the company said.
“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, a senior official at Nokia.
“The results from the pilot project is 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.”
Nokia Life Tools will launch commercially in the first half of 2009. The service will be enabled in the Nokia 2320 and Nokia 2323, which will soon start shipping, and on more devices to be announced later in the year.
Users of the “Agriculture” module said 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.
Subscribers to the “Learn English” and “General Knowledge” modules 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.
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