Telecom Lead India: Phone major Nokia is looking at strengthening its mobile VAS business.
The Finnish mobile phone maker has introduced Nokia Life+, a free Web application offering valuable information on education, health and infotainment topics.
This, according to Nokia, is the latest evolution of its Nokia Life service.
Nokia Life+ will be supported by the Nokia Asha 308 and Nokia Asha 309 smartphones alongside a wide range of Nokia mobile phones.
The strategy to launch cost effective phones is seen as its vision to retain its top ranking as the number one mobile phone maker by volume market share. In smartphone business, Nokia lost market share to both Apple and Samsung.
Nokia said more than 76 million people have experienced the original Nokia Life service that works across a range of basic and feature phones without a data connection.
The new Nokia Life+ web application builds on this success by providing an even richer web-based service through the new and improved Nokia Xpress Browser, which compresses Internet data up to 90 percent, resulting in more efficient web browsing and a smarter Internet experience.
“People in developing economies need better access to information on the Internet that has relevance and value to their daily lives beyond entertainment. Nokia Life+ will serve as a bridge as people graduate from a primarily text-based mobile experience towards richer, web-based usage,” said Jawahar Kanjilal, vice president & Global Head of Nokia Life.
Nokia Life+ is now available in 18 countries as a free Web application, accessible as a download from Nokia Store or from the Xpress Browser.
Life+ is now available in English with two services – Life Skills and Live Healthy – with more services to be added over the coming months.
Nokia Life+ is supported by content partners including Reader’s Digest, Foundation for Social Change, FKUGM, Detik.com, Cita Cinta, GADIS, Gamatechno, Sygma, Ayahbunda, Madison Research, EnableM, Sina and iMedia.