Nokia Life Tools Launched In India!

From www.efytimes.com on June 12, 2009

Friday, June 12, 2009:  After a successful pilot in Maharashtra, Nokia has commercially launched Nokia Life Tools service in India. The service will be rolled out first in Maharashtra in association with the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB). Designed specifically for the emerging markets, Nokia Life Tools is a range of agriculture, education and entertainment services addressing the information gaps of target consumers.

The Nokia Life Tools Agriculture service offers consumers a choice of 2 plans. The basic plan, available across India at Rs 30/month, provides daily weather updates and relevant agriculture-related news, advice and tips. The premium plan, at Rs 60/month, will be available in 10 states, including Maharashtra, and provides the closest market prices for three crops chosen by the subscriber, as well as weather, news, advice and tips.

Nokia is collaborating with Reuters Market Light (RML), which was the exclusive provider for agriculture services in the successful pilot.http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/06/16/stories/2009061651990400.htm

The Nokia Life Tools Education service, available throughout India, offers three components: Learn English, with basic, intermediate and advanced levels; Exam preparation, which offers students tips and advice for ICSE, CBSE and state board-level exams mapped to the relevant curriculum; and general knowledge. Each of the education services will be offered at Rs 30/month.

The Nokia Life Tools Entertainment service at launch will include astrology, news, jokes, cricket and ringtones, offered at existing market prices.

Nokia signed an MOU with the MSAMB, under which MSAMB will provide expertise in the areas of commodity prices from their network of 291 local mandis (marketyards). MSAMB will also have the opportunity to deliver news, alerts on schemes and other information directly to grassroots consumers.

Speaking at the occasion, Ashok Chavan, chief minister, Maharashtra, said, “We are happy that Maharashtra is the first state in India to go live with the Nokia Life Tools services in association with the state marketing board. Empowering our people with the right tools and facilities is a top priority for the state government. I would like to congratulate Nokia for developing a unique and innovative service that has tremendous potential to improve lives and the livelihood of farmers and sub-urban consumers in Maharashtra.”

Harshavardhan Patil, minister, co-operation, marketing, cultural affairs and parliamentary affairs, commented, “It has been the Maharashtra state government’s endeavour to provide vital agri information tools for a progressive and an empowered farmer community. Nokia Life Tools is tailormade to positively impact farmers across the state. This MOU further strengthens MSAMB’s mandate to get the information directly to the farmers.”

“Nokia Life Tools was a result of the entire ecosystem coming together and is ideally placed to usher in an information revolution impacting the daily lives of people,” added D Shivakumar, managing director, Nokia India.

The complete Nokia Life Tools solution will be available on the newly launched Nokia 2323 classic and Nokia 2330 classic devices, and will be later expanded to other Nokia devices.

Nokia Life Tools service will be expanded to select countries across Asia and Africa later in 2009 and beyond.

Related stories at

DND: Disturbance Now on Demand

By Heena Jhingan on www.ciol.com on June 12, 2009

Who does not love freebies? Mobile users are now more willing to be disturbed if that brings along some free-gifts attached. Following a positive response to Virgin mobile’s strategy to offer free calls if customers view and respond to ads, operators in India are becoming receptive to the concept and intend to encash its popularity.

Free talk time offers in India have caused subscriber defection from one operator to the other. But mobile advertising which was once thought to be annoying, is now emerging as a mode to earn a little revenue for the operator, and the subscriber receiving advertisements on his phones can get free music downloads, free instant messaging and video games in exchange.

To make the most of this rage and be in the race, the state-owned BSNL launched an integrated Mobile Advertising Service which will help its mobile subscribers to earn talktime by simply registering for a service which will send advertisement to the registered users which in turn help users to earn talktime .The Mobile advertisement services is currently available in BSNL’s West zone circles in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatishgarh.

Considering the trajectory Indian mobile industry is making with over 400 mn subscriber, UK-based company positioned as a free mobile service network for 16-24-year-olds, Blyk Ltd, is preparing to enter the Indian market and is in talks with one or more local telecom operators.

Blyk that has around 200 brands on board in the UK from leading advertisers such as Unilever Plc and Microsoft Corp, offers customers some free talktime or free texts in return for accepting targeted advertising on their phones every day. In India, the ad-funded company is seeking partners to gain access to their spectrum, or airwaves, and subscriber base. Last year, the company announced an additional Rs267.6 crore of investment to support its operations and international expansion.

If the talks materialize, Blyk will be the first network to open here positioned solely as a free service, although there will be a ceiling on free calls and messages permitted per subscriber.

The operators in India are looking at such models as win-win for all stakeholders, cellular operators, customers and advertisers. It is believed the youth will be very enthusiastic about the offer. Reliance Communications is rumored to be in talks with Blyk. However, some new and small operators are also being considered.

Virgin became one of the first providers to offer such a service in 2006,its customers could get upto 75 minutes of free calls per month if they spent an equal amount of time looking at ads and replying to these ads via text messages. The MVNO made an entry in the market with a unique concept of paying the subscriber 10 pasie per minute for incoming calls.

BSNL who launched the services last month believes it is important to keep with market trends. As of now the operator is offering Rs 5 free talk time for every 10 ads, which is not a big amount. The company says it is still experimenting how more revenue be earned through such schemes.

Interest in such services is reflected in global audit and advisory firm KPMG’s recent study which says Mobile phone users in India are more willing than their global counterparts to receive advertisements on their phones in return of ad-funded content. The survey finds globally 49 per cent of respondents would be willing to watch ads on their mobiles in return for free music. About 44 per cent would be prepared to do the same in return for free access to Instant Messaging. It would not be surprising if more global mobile service network like Blyk show interest in Indian market.

Companies are realizing that the need for engagement with the consumer is increasingly going through cellphone, and quantifiable ROI is alluring for brands. The Mobile advertising is expected to reach $5.7 billion by 2014, though that will still be 1.5% of total global adspend. Creative teams are working on interesting ad content and their presentation. Some companies plan to run ads in the middle of the call.

A major apprehension that operators in India have about mobile advertising is that certain groups may find it intrusive in spite of the freebies. But, no worry as these services are availed by choice and if one needs to be ultra cautious there is an option of DND (Do Not Disturb) registration.

DoT willing to hike 3G bid price

12 Jun 2009, 0126 hrs IST, Joji Thomas Philip & Sandeep Gurumurthi, ET Now

NEW DELHI: The communications ministry is set to tell the Union Cabinet that it is open to increasing the reserve price for the auctions of pan-India third generation (3G) spectrum to Rs 3,540 crore and auction up to eight slots of 3G spectrum. As per the existing 3G policy unveiled by the communications ministry late last year, the reserve price for pan-India 3G spectrum is Rs 2,020 crore and accommodating five players per circle.

The department of telecom is of the view that hiking the reserve price for these airwaves will ensure that the finance ministry does not put up any fresh roadblocks for the upcoming 3G auctions, which is vital for high-end services such as video conferencing and high speed internet on mobile handsets. Spectrum is the airwaves on which telecom signals travel and is the lifeline for all telcos.

This comes as the Union Cabinet is set to consider the proposal for the auction of radio bandwidth for third-generation (3G) mobile services within the next two weeks, rather than routing it through a group of ministers (GoM), fast-tracking the much-delayed process.

The DoT will also tell the Cabinet that the total number of players who will be allotted 3G spectrum can be raised from the current five to about seven to eight per circle. The move is aimed at addressing the concerns of the finance ministry which fears that a lower base price would result in the government failing to meet its targets of raising about Rs 40,000 crore for these auctions.

Increasing the number of slots will lead to higher revenues from the auctions as this will enable more Indian operators and also players from abroad to bag these airwaves. At the same time, the DoT in its note to the Cabinet will also state that even as it open to hiking the reserve price, it prefers to retain the base price at 2,020 crore as specified under the existing 3G policy.

The DoT’s logic behind the Rs 3,540 crore figure is that it is between the Rs 2,020 crore suggested by the DoT and the and the Rs 4,040 crore demanded by the finance Ministry. The DoT has arrived at this figure (Rs 3,540 crore) by doubling the reserve price for Delhi, Mumbai and category A circles and increasing it 1.5 times for Kolkata and category B circles retaining the current base price for category C circles, according to a top executive in the communications ministry.

As per the 3G policy, the base price for metros and category A circles such as Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra is Rs 160 crore, while that for category B circles is 80 crore and Rs 30 crore for Category C regions totalling up to Rs 2,020 crore. The cabinet may look into the proposal within two weeks, communications and IT minister A Raja had told ET on Wednesday after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “The communications ministry has already prepared a Cabinet note detailing all issues associated with the 3G auctions. We plan to present this note to the Cabinet soon,” Mr Raja had added.

If the Cabinet approves the ministry’s proposal in its current format, the 3G auctions will be held within three months, opening the gates for high-end services such as video-conferencing and high speed internet on mobile handsets. On the other hand, routing the process through a GoM would involve a delay of several months since there will have to be a consensus between all ministers of the group before it can be sent to the Cabinet.

Earlier this year, the communications ministry had sought Cabinet approval for 3G auctions, but the latter could not clear the same as the finance ministry had objected to this proposal and demanded that the floor price be doubled. Further, differences between several ministries over the floor price for the auction of 3G airwaves and also over the number of players to be allowed to offer these high-end services in an area had forced the Cabinet to refer the matter to a group of ministers just prior to the general elections.

The auctions could not be held prior to the polls as GoM failed to meet to find a solution to these issues. In fact, the GoM did not even meet once to discuss the 3G auctions. The issue then got further complicated as the planning commission, the department of industrial policy and promotion and the IT ministry opposed doubling of the base price.

Related stories at:

• http://www.ciol.com/technology/networking/news-reports/dot-set-to-hike-3g-auction-price/12609120894/0/
• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/DoT-willing-to-hike-3G-bid-price-/articleshow/4646736.cms

Bring home the world on a single line

Thomas K. Thomas on The Hindu Business Line on June 12, 2009

New Delhi, June 11 Mrs Vinita Gupta, a housewife living in a residential complex in Greater Noida, does not know that she is among the first in the country to experience the latest in broadband technology — Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (GPON).

What it offers

Thanks to this technology, she, along with others who recently moved to this 3,000-unit complex, has access to services such as movie-on-demand, high definition television, surveillance systems, fire alarm system, or can even switch off lights and fans at home while sitting elsewhere.

GPON is an optical fibre cable access technology for delivering high-capacity broadband services that allows carriers to deploy a whole range of telecom and entertainment services on a single line.

While Mrs Gupta has taken only the IPTV and high-speed Internet services, she can even keep a watch on her house via her mobile when she is away on a holiday through the elaborate surveillance system being set up in the housing complex.

The solution is being offered by Swedish major Ericsson, which has partnered with Delhi-based property management services provider Radius Infratel Pvt Ltd to take this technology to other parts of the country.

The two are now set to bag a major contract for wiring up the Commonwealth Games Village and another for rolling out GPON throughout Dwarka in South-West Delhi.

This technology offers 100 times more capacity and is at least six times faster than the existing wire line broadband systems.

Operators, including BSNL and Bharti Airtel, are toying with the technology and the Ericsson-backed projects could just signal the beginning of high speed broadband finally coming to India.

150 start-ups dial Bharti innovation fund

Thomas K Thomas on The Hindu Business Line on June 12, 2009

New Delhi, June 11 As many as 150 start-ups have sought seed capital from the Rs 200-crore Bharti Airtel Innovation Fund. The telecom major will shortlist entities with interesting ideas and probably pick up equity stake in these ventures.

Bharti Airtel told Business Line that the ideas received by the company include applications for mobile TV, M-commerce, wireless security, m-advertising, healthcare and social networking.

The fund was started by Bharti in September 2008 to encourage developers to come up with innovative applications for mobile users.

In response to an e-mail questionnaire, Mr Sarvjit Singh Dhillon, Group Director, Bharti Enterprises, said, “Yes, we will be open to picking up equity stakes in these companies with the primary objective of playing the role of a mentor to these potential start-ups while promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.

“We have received an encouraging response to the Airtel innovation Fund which is aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of telecommunications. Till now, we have received over 150 applications from the potential start-ups.”

Evaluation on

While the company did not give the specifics of the applications, Mr Dhillon said the process to choose right candidates is on.

“We are happy with the response received by the fund as it meets our primary objective of promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the telecom sector. However, we are still evaluating the suitability of individual submissions from an innovation and economic perspective. While we have short-listed several candidates for consideration, there is still further review/assessment and discussions to be undertaken.”

Analysts said this move could be important in the light of third generation mobile services scheduled to be launched early next year.

Mobile operators such Airtel will require a host of innovative applications if they have to make money by offering 3G services.

At present, the mobile market is driven by revenues from voice-based services. However, with the tariffs spiralling downwards, operators are on the lookout for the killer application.

Through this fund, Bharti may be hoping to have a nursery of ideas for driving up its revenues through value-added services.

Bharti’s approach is similar to the one being followed by IT major Intel, which is funding application development for WiMAX technology.

Chennai unit top producer for nokia

12 Jun 2009, 0210 hrs IST, Kalyan Parbat, ET Bureau

KOLKATA: Chennai has edged past China as a unit-wise volume producer of Nokia cellphones. In fact, Nokia’s Chennai factory is now the company’s largest cellphone manufacturing facility in the world.

China has two such Nokia factories and Chennai one. But Chennai Nokia has now edged past the larger of the two Chinese factories. While the Finnish cellphone maker is not revealing the annual capacity of its Chennai factory, a senior member of its global planning team said the factory is now indeed its largest manufacturing factory. Unofficial reports suggest Chennai manufactures over 100 million phones every year.

Interestingly, over 70% of Nokia’s 8,000-strong employee pool at the Chennai plant are women, involved in a mix of running productions lines, maintenance and assembly and testing operations.

Nokia operates state-of-the-art mobile phone manufacturing units in India, Finland, China, Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Romania and Hungary. “The Chennai factory is the largest in Nokia’s global ecosystem, although the dynamics in terms of product line vary in each market. But the international markets that we serve out of Chennai have seen the largest growth in volume terms.

At present, Nokia ships GSM phones from the Chennai factory to over 50 markets spanning South East Asia Pacific (including Australia), India, the Middle East and Africa,” said a senior official who did not wish to be named.

When contacted, a Nokia India spokesman said: “As a company policy, we do not share specific capacity numbers of our factories worldwide. All I can confirm at this stage is that our Chennai operation has seen the fastest ever ramp-up across our nine cellphone manufacturing plants. The ramp-up is in terms of the unprecedented growth in cellphone production volumes within a three-year span.”

The latest development is seen as a milestone of sorts for the Finnish cellphone maker and is in sync with its plans to take big strides to grow the Indian handset turf. It also comes at a time when the world’s top cellphone makers, under the ambit of the Indian Cellular Association, are targeting a national production volume of 250 million mobile handsets by calender 2012.

Several presentations have been recently made to the Department of Telecommunications by the manufacturing advisory committee. The larger objective of players like Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and Spice is the creation of an additional 1 lakh jobs during 2009-14 in cellphone manufacturing, assembly, R&D and design.

While Nokia churns out a dazzling mix of GSM phones in India, the first camera phone to be manufactured at the Chennai works was the Nokia 2630 while the first music phone was the Nokia 5130. It does not manufacture CDMA phones in India as yet.

Bharti, Vodafone to bring iPhone 3GS to India in Aug

12 Jun 2009, 0740 hrs IST, Joji Thomas Philip, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: India’s leading GSM telecom operators — Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar — are set to bring Apple’s latest iPhone, called iPhone 3G S, to India in August. The new iPhone 3G S, which offers faster data speeds, a new camera, video recording, compass and voice control, was unveiled in US earlier this week.

In India, Apple has exclusive tie-ups with Bharti and Vodafone and this is one of the few markets where the US-based technology firm has a tie-up with two operators. Bharti and Vodafone jointly account for over 170 million of the over 400 million cellphone users in the country.

Apple had issued a guidance, saying the iPhone 3G S would make its debut in India in August, but refused to specify the date and the pricing for the country. The guidance also added that the handset would be launched in 31 other countries in August. Additionally, as per information made public by Apple, the iPhone 3G S will go on sale in 10 countries, including the US on June 19, and another 32 countries in the month of July.

Both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar did not offer comments to a detailed query sent by ET.

In India, the new iPhone from Apple is set to face competition from smartphones such as Nokia’s N97 and similar offerings from BlackBerry and Samsung. Another handset that can be a potential threat to Apple’s new product is the Palm’s Pre which has just hit the US market, but is currently not available in India.

But, unlike handsets such as Nokia’s N97, the new iPhone 3G S will have a unique advantage as it has over 100,000 applications and also enjoys the support of the most vibrant and innovative developer community in this space. This implies, Apple’s product is more than just a technically superior handset, but more of a software platform with thousands of custom-made applications.

However, the catch is that the earlier model of the iPhone’s India entry has been a huge failure both in terms of sales (due to an unviable distribution model) coupled with a steep price tag and poor advertising which resulted in the brand failing to connect with customers here.

Also, customers in India who had followed Apple’s pricing globally during in other countries and believed that the iPhone would sport a similar price tag of $199 here were put off by the fact that they would have to shell out more than three time the amount to buy the product. Worse still, market watchers say that neither Apple nor Bharti and Vodafone Essar put in the efforts to explain the difference in market dynamics in India which led to the higher pricing here which left customers confused.

Market watchers and analysts also say that Apple’s decision to go in with only Bharti and Vodafone Essar in India was flawed, especially considering that GSM operators here are not major players in the handset retail space. This is because, GSM players rarely bundle handsets and restrict such offering to the lower-end phones in non-urban and rural markets.

For consumers, some of the new features that come with the iPhone 3G S include its ability to remember text that has been entered once, thereby eliminating the need to retype e-mail addresses, postal addresses or usernames, the digital compass which aids in navigation and a host of features that make it friendly for the disabled. Besides, it also comes with Apple’s own earphones along with a multi-button remote, but with a single control key and a mic.

Related stories at

• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/India-to-ring-in-new-iPhone-in-August/articleshow/4647452.cms
• http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Apple-hopes-to-fare-well-with-iPhone-3G-S-this-time/articleshow/4651934.cms