Along with the announcement of Nokia's Mail on Ovi service, Nokia also announced its new %26quot;Nokia LifeTools%26quot; application for emerging markets. Now, while this application might not seem all that interesting to the everyday S60 or iPhone user, this little application is designed to help people in emerging markets, like farmers, to help and inform them on how to grow their crops, market agriculture prices, etc.
Nokia Life Tools is
a range of innovative agriculture information and education services
designed especially for rural and small town communities in emerging
markets.
Nokia
Life Tools helps overcome information constraints and provides farmers
and students with timely and relevant information. These services use
an icon-based, graphically rich user interface that comes complete with
tables and which can even display information simultaneously in two
languages. Behind this rich interface, SMS is used to deliver the
critical information to ensure that this service works wherever a
mobile phone does, without the hassles of additional settings or the
need for GPRS coverage.
Introducing Nokia Life Tools :
•- Nokia plans to introduce a range of services aimed at emerging markets under the name Nokia Life Tools in 2009.
•- Nokia Life Tools will focus on Agriculture information and Education services with Entertainment supplementing the offering.
•- The lead devices for the service are the Nokia 2323 classic and the Nokia 2330 classic.
•-
Nokia Life Tools helps overcome the information constraints and strives
to contribute towards empowering people with the right tools enabling
them make informed decisions.
•- Nokia Life Tools will inform, involve, empower and help bridge the digital divide in the emerging markets.
Nokia Life Tools – Agriculture :
Reliable and comprehensive information delivered regularly to your mobile device in one package.
Be
empowered with tailored information delivered in synch with the
cropping cycles. Get information on weather, agriculture tips %26amp;
techniques and market prices and improve productivity and earnings.
Nokia Life Tools – Education :
Simple courses on English and general knowledge. All in your local language.
Grow
and keep ahead! Boost your social standing and confidence with
educational services delivered directly to your mobile phone in your
local language.
Nokia Life Tools – Entertainment :
Fun and personalization at your fingertips
Cheer
up your day! Personalize your phones with the latest ringtones and
ringback tones , enjoy other trivia such as jokes, news and gossip,
while knowing what your day has in store with the astrology service.
Inform. Involve. Empower:
Delivering mobile services to bridge the digital divide :
In
emerging markets, there are severe infrastructural constraints.
Distances, cost and vast number of local languages add to the
complexity. However, access to mobility and services such as the
Internet can change people’s lives and now, with the expansion of
mobile coverage in smaller towns and rural areas, there is renewed hope
to deliver information relevant to people’s daily lives.
In-depth
research and Nokia’s consumer insights have shown that the Internet and
information services in infrastructure-constrained environments can
offer improved earning potential, learning and quality of life in
different ways to many.
Introducing Nokia Life Tools, a range of
innovative Agriculture information and Education services targeted to
non-urban consumers. Designed specifically for the emerging markets,
Nokia Life Tools helps overcome geographical, language and economic
barriers and provides services to the next generation of mobile users –
possibly the next billion! Nokia plans to launch the service starting
in India in the first half of 2009, and expanding across select
countries in Asia and Africa later in 2009.
By filling in the
information gaps in agriculture and education at the entry level of the
mobile device market, Nokia strives to contribute towards empowering
people with the right tools to make confident decisions in their daily
lives.
Access to this service also has a major impact on the local
economy. In areas where agriculture is the primary occupation, relevant
information delivered in sync with the cropping cycle of that season
can become a useful tool with significant potential to enhance
productivity and earnings. Nokia plans to conduct a limited scale pilot
in India before the end of 2008. Reuters Market Light is amongst the
content providers collaborating with Nokia in the pilot where regular
information on weather, prices of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides as
well as prevailing market prices is sent directly to the farmer’s
mobile device.
The information for the produce is customized to the farmer’s location and his choice of crops.
Knowledge
of a foreign language is always a confidence booster. However, the
ability to learn English – often perceived as the ‘language of
business’ and a necessary skill to progress – can be challenging in
remote locations. The Education services in Nokia Life Tools can help
improve English language skills and general knowledge. Exam
preparation, career tips and access to exam results are some of the
possibilities in the future.
Nokia Life Tools is not only about
productivity and empowerment but also about some fun. Entertainment is
only a click away with ringtones, daily horoscopes, local news and
trivia.
Simplicity and ubiquitous access are important to consumers.
This is why Nokia Life Tools uses an iconbased graphically rich user
interface that makes receiving this information a pleasure. The service
comes complete with tables and clever formatting, and can even display
information in two languages on the same screen.
Behind this rich
interface, SMS is used to deliver the critical information to ensure
that this service works wherever a mobile phone works, without the
hassles of any settings or need for GPRS coverage.
Compatible Handsets and Language support :
Nokia
plans to launch the service in the first half of 2009 with the Nokia
2323 classic and the Nokia 2330 classic as the lead devices in India,
and expand it across select countries in Asia and Africa later in 2009.
From
the Nokia press release, we know that, both these services are targeted
towards developing markets, as those users won't have their own
computer for email. LifeTools is also targeted at that same audience.
To find out more about the mentioned services please do check Nokia India's press release, or the launch page.
[Via ZomgitsCj]