May 31, 2010, 11:48am
With today’s technology moving at a fast pace to make our lives easier, mobile phone companies have been even quicker in providing convenience to the consumer by transforming our handy communication devices into features packed mobile computers. “There is a clear shift in terms of how people use their phones today,” says Benoit Nalin, General Manager, Nokia Philippines. “There are people who go to the Internet café to do email and check social networking sites but there are also those who do that all on their mobile phones.”
True to form, what once were devices that were used to simply call and text, consumers now find themselves in the advent of the inevitable - where applications that were once exclusive to personal computers and laptops are now available in our mobile phones. Nalin said that about half of the 78 million mobile phone subscribers are potential users of mobile Internet.
“Sending email through the mobile phone is the next revolution in mobile Internet, when people migrate their email activity from a PC to a mobile,” said Will Harris, SEAP Marketing Head, Nokia. “We see that extension into social media as well as chat in the future. Everything will move away from PC and Internet cafes to mobile.”
“People think that going online using their mobile phone is expensive and can only be done using high end devices,” adds Nalin. “They also think that setting it up is difficult, but really it isn’t.” Committed to providing mobile email to everyone, Nokia offers a slew of devices that allow you to send and receive email, chat, and log on to your favorite social networking sites all on the palm of your hand.
It has several easy to set-up and user friendly mobile messaging services for consumers with specific email needs. Nokia has also partnered with operators who are offering compelling plans to complement these new services.
For those with corporate email, Nokia together with Globe will soon offer Mail For Exchange, which will be compatible with S60 3rd edition devices, which includes all Nokia Eseries and Nokia NSeries.
For those on consumer email like Ovi Mail, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, or Windows Live Hotmail, Smart offers Unlimited Nokia Messaging at just P299/month. Postpaid and prepaid subscribers can avail of the service by texting NOKIA MONTH to 6677. Chat and Instant Messaging will also be eventually offered. The service is compatible with Nokia S60 devices like the Nokia E52, Nokia E72, Nokia N97, Nokia N97 mini, and the Nokia E63 which is the most affordable device with push email in the market.
To be launched in Q3 are other Nokia mobile devices with full QWERTY keyboard for the best messaging experience - the Nokia C3, Nokia E5, and Nokia C6. For first time email users, Nokia launched its free email service last year, Ovi Mail, which can be set up in three easy steps and accessed via your mobile phone and computer. Currently, there are approximately 3 million Ovi Mail users globally.
Incidentally, Nokia has also partnered with Microsoft and launched Microsoft Communicator Mobile, which enables people to see their colleagues’ availability, and be able to communicate with them using the best method, from IM to email, text to phone call.
The names and status of colleagues are embedded directly into the devices’ contacts application, enabling people to update their own presence, start and join instant messaging sessions, and begin calls directly from the contact card. The launch is the first product from the alliance, initially capable only with the Nokia E52 and Nokia E72, and is the first time either company had embarked on an agreement of this scope and nature.
“Nokia Connecting People was a fantastic Finnish invention where it essentially became a rallying cry for connecting people around the world. I think the second iteration of that is what we’re getting into now – connecting people to their social media whether its SMS, chat, or email,” said Harris. “Nokia is redefining what connecting people means for this second generation of mobile Internet.”
