Nokia 
Nokia today announced two new services (targeted towards developing markets) to be launched at the end of 2008 or early 2009. Mail on Ovi and Nokia Life Tools.
Mail on Ovi, which is enabled on Nokia Series 40 devices only for now, offers the possibility to create an email account directly on your mobile phone without having to use a personal computer, giving millions of users the possibility to create their first internet identity and communicate in new ways.
Mail on Ovi brings people closer together. For many people, email is probably the first thing they check in the morning and the last thing they check at night. They usually do this on their personal computers or laptops while at home or at work. Those with email-enabled mobile devices are also able to access their accounts on the go. For many in emerging markets, these seemingly normal activities – the ownership of a personal computer and the ability to have an email account of their own – have been seen as a luxury available only to others because of cost and availability.
However, many people in these very same emerging markets have Nokia devices, which unknown to them, are email-optimized. Now – to help them along the path of digital connectivity – Nokia has developed an email service. Mail on Ovi, which could probably be their first step in discovering the mobile internet, gives first-time email users the chance to set up an email account (username@ovi.com) right on their mobile phone.
Mail on Ovi – At A Glance
Available on Nokia Series 40 devices:
•- Showcased on Nokia 2323 classic and Nokia 2330 classic
•- Supported across all Nokia Series 40 devices currently shipping (with NSA**)
Mail on Ovi features:
•- 1 GB storage
•- Multi-layered spam & virus protection
•- Single sign-on with access to other Ovi Services
•- Nokia is the one point of contact for the service and the device
Out of the box mobile access to personal email:
•- Sending email is easy and safe
•- Communicate with family and friends
•- Stay connected and updated
•- Share information, jokes, news and updates
•- Share photos and attachment files
•- Forward important messages
•- Respond quickly when messages are urgent
Language support:
•- Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia, Bengali, Filipino (Filipino/Tagalog), French, German, Hindi, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Spanish, UK English, US English
An Inbox for Everyone
•- Simple, intuitive email on Nokia Series 40 devices
•- Simple sign-up
•- Easy to use
•- Anytime, anywhere access
•- Mail on Ovi is free to set up*
•- Create a personal email account on your phone
•- Account setup is integrated into the Nokia 2323 classic and Nokia 2330 classic. Integrated account setup is planned for more Nokia devices
•- Single sign-on compatibility with Ovi.Com
•- Access to a scalable, reliable and secure email service
•- Communicate flexibly
•- Connect to your social network
•- Share updates and information securely
Mail on Ovi is a secure and spam-free personal email service designed for Nokia Series 40 devices.
Mobile phone users who have one or more of the 36 Mail on Ovi-optimized devices can set up their email account for free with just a few pieces of information, and start using the account right away. They can choose to create a new Mail on Ovi account or activate email for an existing Ovi sign-on profile.
Having email on a mobile device means consumers can stay in touch with family and friends who are far away. They can check in when they have time to catch up, respond quickly to urgent matters, compose an email on the go, and send and receive images and photos. Another benefit of Mail on Ovi is that it will be launched with support for more than 10 languages and will eventually include more than 85 languages.
Mail on Ovi is most likely to be the first time many people experience email. So, it is very important that it is easy to use and maintain. During the beta trial phase, Mail on Ovi can be accessed through the messaging folder – an application that anyone with a Nokia mobile phone will be familiar with.
For consumers who are familiar with email and its benefits, Mail on Ovi offers the opportunity for them to take the next step in email management and utilization.
The next generation of email access is here. With Nokia’s Mail on Ovi, the world awaits.
Mail on Ovi is easy to find, set-up and use, for immediate email access from your mobile phone. A trial of Mail on Ovi will launch in a few select markets by the end of November 2008. The global rollout of Mail on Ovi will be available on all currently shipping Nokia Series 40 devices by the end of 2008.
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 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 & 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.
All I can say is “Whoa !”. This sure came out of nowhere. Its good to see Nokia taking a keep interest in developing markets. I’m sure Nokia LifeTools will come in handy to many in the agricultural and such sectors in those markets. I really hope the Mail on Ovi feature expands to S60 phones eventually though.
-Teh Cj
Clinton is currently based in New Delhi, India and is executive editor for UnleashThePhones. He is responsible for all editorial decisions, and covers all forms of Mobile things.
Cj is addicted to caffeine, social media, and technology. Always up for a good conversation, you can reach him through the contact form, his website, on Google Plus 
or on Facebook or Twitter: Follow @clintonjeff
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