Nokia launches Ovi Life Tools in Africa’s largest mobile market
Nokia today announced that Ovi Life Tools, its leading emerging market information service, is now available in Nigeria – one of Africa’s fastest growing economies and the continent’s largest mobile market. The African launch follows hot on the heels of highly successful launches over the last year in Indonesia, India and China. Today, Ovi Life Tools has over 6.3 million users globally, and the introduction of this service in Africa further extends Nokia’s reach in emerging markets.
Ovi Life Tools offers a wide range of information services covering healthcare, agriculture, education and entertainment which address the needs of consumers and helps improve their economic prosperity and quality of life. It is a key part of Nokia’s overall strategy to connect the next billion people by providing access to locally relevant services on affordable mobile devices.
Nokia’s head of Mobile Phone Services, Dieter May, said: “This is another important milestone for Nokia as we continue to expand our services in emerging markets. Farmers will be able to check market prices without travelling long distances, people will be able to find important information to stay healthy and students will be able to learn English and improve their general knowledge at their own pace. All of this on easy-to-use and affordable mobile phones.”
From today, people in Nigeria will have access to a wide range of services and information on their mobile phones through Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools. Services available include:
- Healthcare services: Mother and childcare, health & fitness and disease information.
- Agriculture services: Market prices, news & advice and weather.
- Education services: Learn English, acquire general knowledge and access exam results.
- Entertainment services: Football results, music, news alerts, horoscopes and jokes.
May continued: “We have made sure that the service is locally relevant. The agriculture service provides prices on 25 different commodities including cocoa, beniseed (sesame) and fish to name a few, and covers all 36 states in Nigeria. But people also want to have fun, so in football crazed Nigeria we have made sure that the news and entertainment service includes the latest results from the European leagues and from the national team. Affordability is also critical. With almost 30 percent of the population below the poverty line, every cent makes a huge difference to people’s household budgets, so we have set out to build a service that is able to further improve their quality of life for just 1 Euro per month.”
Nokia’s Ovi Life Tools in Nigeria will be offered on the Nokia 2690 and on the Nokia C1-01 through two of Nigeria’s largest operators, Zain/Airtel and Glo Mobile, at the affordable price of NGN 250 (EUR 1.25) for the agriculture service and NGN 200 (EUR 1) per month for all other subscriptions. More devices will be added in the future.
Nokia Ovi Life Tools will be available countrywide in Nigeria in three languages – English, Hausa and Pidgin English.
About Nokia
At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device – from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia’s NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally.
Telefonica O2 installs Nokia Siemens Networks security-as-a-service (Czech Republic)
Telefonica O2, Czech Republic has deployed Nokia Siemens Networks security-as-a-service at a fixed monthly fee, to enable its broadband Internet users to have control and security over their infrastructure and data.
As per the agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks has integrated its security-as-a-service into Telefonica’s operational support system/business support system (OSS/BSS) platforms.
The security service is delivered to Telefonica O2′s enterprise customers from its secure, centralized, and continuously updated platforms in O2 data centres to protect fixed Internet access.
According to Telefonica O2 Czech Republic director of product and services, Oscar Gomez, the Internet is central to most businesses today but there are concerns about security threats such as malware, and the implications of access to the Web that a company provides and is responsible for, but cannot exercise control over. With its thorough knowledge of network and expertise in smooth deployment of security suites, Nokia Siemens Networks was chosen to create a bespoke Internet service that the company can offer to enterprises that addresses both security threats and responsible use.
Comptel selects Nokia Siemens Networks Exec as the new CEO
BSS/OSS vendor, Comptel has announced that Mr Juhani Hintikka is to work as the President and CEO of the company from the beginning of next year. He is currently working as the global Head of Operations Support Solutions Business Line at Nokia Siemens Networks.
The company’s current President/CEO, Sami Ervi¶ is stepping down from the position with immediate effect, although he remains an employee of the company.
Simo S¤¤skilahti, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions and Deputy CEO has been appointed Acting President and CEO starting October 26, 2010 until Juhani Hintikka assumes his new position.
According to Olli Riikkala the Chairman of the Board of Comptel, Juhani Hintikka is a seasoned executive with an extensive track record in telecommunications business. He has a deep understanding of telecommunications ranging from wireless technology to services and software. He has wide market experience especially from emerging markets in Asia, Middle East and Latin America. The Global Operations Support Systems market for telecommunications is undergoing significant structural changes and I am convinced that Juhani as the new President and CEO has the exact right competencies to accelerate Comptel’s transformation in this growing market.
Du selects Nokia Siemens for mobile network upgradation
Dubai-based Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Co (Du) has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to upgrade its mobile network operations in the U.A.E., spending US$108 million.
Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the largest telecommunications hardware, software and services companies in the world.
According to the company’s statement, the project is estimated to improve Du’s network performance and operations. Nokia Siemens Networks will expand Du’s 2G network and introduce its 3G HSPA+ network with speeds of up to 42Mb as part of Du’s existing 3G HSPA+ network.
As per the company’s statement in mid-September, it has entered into a US$207 million financing agreement with KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, part of Germany’s KfW Bankengruppe, to help assist the roll out of its 2G and 3G network. The financing agreement was facilitated by Nokia Siemens Networks and largely backed by Euler Hermes SA, an export credit agency based in Germany.
Deutsche Telekom selects NSN for LTE rollout
Deutsche Telekom has selected Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) for its LTE roll-out in Germany. The company is rolling out LTE by using digital dividend spectrum and will launch the service by the end of this year.
For LTE services, the telecom company will use the 800 MHz digital dividend frequency band. Deutsche Telekom has picked NSN as one of its suppliers for hardware, software and services required to set up and maintain the LTE radio network across the country. NSN has also selected NSN to supply LTE in future, globally.
Additionally, NSN will extend its existing subscriber data management platform for Deutsche Telekom to the LTE deployment, providing a single, unified view of all subscriber-related data.
In the initial phase, the roll-out will begin in rural areas, where no broadband access of any kind is available. NSN is supplying its Single RAN solution with Self Organizing Network functionality based on its Flexi Multiradio Base Station and network management and optimisation software NetAct.
Nokia Siemens Networks Wins German LTE Contract
Nokia Siemens Networks has won a LTE rollout contract from Germany’s Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile in the 800 MHz ‘digital dividend’ frequency band. The operator has also selected Nokia Siemens Networks as a future LTE supplier globally. The major part of the contract in Germany is dedicated to services.
According to Bruno Jacobfeuerborn, director technology Telekom Deutschland GmbH, in a first step LTE will enable broadband access in rural areas, where fast access to the Internet has so far been unavailable.
Nokia Siemens Networks is planning and optimizing the LTE network to deliver the quality and coverage that Deutsche Telekom requires to expand into rural areas. It is also managing the implementation and maintenance elements of the project to ensure a rapid roll-out without interruption to existing 2G and 3G services.
In the first phase, the roll-out began in rural areas, so-called ‘whitespots’ where no broadband access of any kind is available. Nokia Siemens Networks is supplying its Single RAN solution with Self Organizing Network (SON) functionality. Besides this Nokia Siemens Networks will extend the existing subscriber data management platform for Deutsche Telekom to the LTE deployment, providing a single, unified view of all subscriber-related data.
Vodafone Essar selects Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks for 3G roll-out (India)
Vodafone Essar, India has selected Nokia Siemens Networks and Ericsson to roll-out 3G network. The financial details are not yet disclosed.
Ericsson will provide equipment to cover India’s largest metropolitan cities; Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, while Nokia Siemens Networks will supply, employ and manage its 3G network in six circles – Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh (East), rest of West Bengal and Haryana – where it secured 3G spectrum.
Ericsson will provide the RAN system, network rollout services, tuning, spare parts and training services, along with the 3G common core platform and will start the transmission in the coming months.
Nokia Siemens Networks will provide services like network planning and project management to enable 3G network implementation. Nokia Siemens Networks will also operate the 3G network for three years under a managed services contract.
Nokia Siemens Networks Wins HSPA+ deal in Bermuda
Bermuda’s CellularOne has awarded HSPA+ upgrade contract to Nokia Siemens Networks.
As per the three-year agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks will provide a complete range of telecommunications gear and services across radio access, core network and operational support systems. The over all contract includes Professional services like network optimization, network monitoring, and care services.
The Financial details were not disclosed by the company.
According to Frank Amaral, Chief Operating Officer at CellularOne, with data use on the rise because of the popularity of smartphones and other 3G capable devices such as the iPad, CellularOne continues to evolve its network capabilities in order to provide the consumer with the best user experience possible on these mobile devices. Having successfully deployed 3G network in May 2009, the company once again opted for Nokia Siemens Networks’ HSPA+ technology as it is ideally suited and proven to deliver the next level of services for the customers.
Ericsson refuse to bid for BSNL tender (India)
Ericsson, one of BSNL’s present GSM vendors, has refused to bid for BSNL’s $450 million GSM supply tender, arguing against the government’s demands for vendors to share their hardware and software codes.
As per the proposed new security rules, foreign vendors are required to place software and hardware designs into escrow for possible scrutiny by security authorities in order to participate in network infrastructure tenders.
The rules have been put on hold, but they put the responsibility for fulfillment on operators, with and specify tough penalties for breaches. This has left operators with a strong incentive to ensure compliance.
As per the reports, Ericsson claimed that it was still in talks with Indian officials over the escrow concept, and therefore refused to stick to the requirement.
The report further revealed that the length of BSNL’s process for deciding winners of major tenders also discouraged Ericsson from participating.
According to the BSNL officials, Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia Siemens Networks as well as China’s Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. have submitted bids to supply equipment for the state-run Indian telecom company’s project to add 5.5 million wireless users to its network.
The BSNL tender, one of the largest in the industry, is just a portion of what was claimed to be the world’s biggest network contract this year, a US$10 billion, 93 million line GSM tender which was canceled on the recommendation of a high-level government committee.
The operator had been trying to get the expansion off the ground since May 2008, but controversy over the lack of competition for such a large deal spoiled the project. Ericsson would have rolled out 38 million lines in a segment of the abandoned deal which would have been worth US$2.5 billion.
The current smaller project involves rolling out 3.4 million lines in north India, and 2.1 million in the south. BSNL is assessing the bids, and a final decision is expected by the end of the month.
Nokia corroborates with MegaFon for 4G data call (Russia)
Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has confirmed that it has carried out a 4G mobile broadband data call for Russian cellco MegaFon. According to reports, the call demonstrated peak rates of up to 100Mbps. The data call was made using Nokia Siemens Networks’ Flexi Multiradio base station, along with Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network elements, Flexi NS (Networks Server) and Flexi NG (Network Gateway) with 4D scaling. NSN also provided the necessary network preparation, installation and combination for the data call.
According to Tigran Pogosyan, deputy CEO for Strategic Projects at MegaFon, the company is committed to offer the best telecom services to the people in Russia and this call brings the company one step closer to commercial LTE rollouts in the country. Given the tight timeliness for the project, Nokia Siemens Networks has done a commendable job in proving its technology leadership and excellence in support services.
