Nokia: "Developing markets"?

It's official. Or so it seems. Already the most active handset manufacturer in the developing world, Nokia today made an announcement which places it well and truly at the heart of the international development effort. It's a move which mirrors their 'developed world' strategy - a move from out-and-out hardware supplier to one of a more inclusive services-based outfit.

As if (very) successfully designing and building low-cost handsets for emerging markets wasn't enough, Nokia will now start offering emerging-market specific data services through their low-cost phones. And we're not talking music or games here. We're talking agriculture and education, and that's just for starters.

According to today's Press Release:

"In 2002, Nokia unveiled a strategy to lower the cost of owning and operating a mobile phone and to bring the benefits of mobile telephony to people in emerging markets. Today, we are expanding that vision by introducing a number of devices and services that aim to bring the power of the Internet to these markets as well. The mobile device and the Internet are a powerful combination in connecting people with each other, accessing information, news, entertainment and sharing. By introducing products and services that are affordable, relevant and easy-to-use, we believe Nokia can fuel the growth of the Internet in emerging markets through mobility"

The announcement is interesting on a number of fronts. In addition to their move into 'social mobile' services - something previously the domain of the ICT4D community and a handful of innovative companies who managed to figure out working business models - Nokia also announced "Mail on Ovi" which enables Series 40 users to set up and run email accounts without the need to go anywhere near a personal computer. The mobile browsing world is also set for a shake-up with the announcement of new low-cost internet-enabled handsets, including the Nokia 2323 Classic (pictured) with a price point of just €40.

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