Mobile service provider, Bharti Airtel and phone manufacturing giant, Nokia have entered a partnership to drive closer collaboration and deliver increased consumer value across Africa.
Under the agreement, Nokia will provide Airtel subscribers in Africa with value added services such as Nokia Life, Nokia Xpress Browser and Nokia Store Operator Billing on their mobile phones.
Nokia Life services, which is already available in Nigeria and launching in East African market – starting with Kenya this month, provides information that are customised and designed to meet customer needs in areas such as education, agriculture, healthcare, livelihood and even spirituality They are delivered in richly formatted SMS messages, bringing relevant, timely and personalised information to consumers at a far lower cost than other sources. The content brings real benefits, such as information for expectant mothers in rural areas who may not have regular access to clinics or pre-natal care.
“The potential for Nokia Life in Africa is enormous and, following on the success of Nigeria, Nokia and Airtel are pleased to now extend this to the East African market, starting with Kenya,” Airtel said in a statement.
Since its launch in India, Nokia Life has expanded to several countries and has been experienced by more than 95 million people in 18 local languages.
Similarly, Airtel will soon make available integrated billing solutions for Nokia Store in both Nigeria and Kenya. With the integrated billing solutions, customers will be able to download top local and global paid content, including apps and games, from Nokia’s immensely popular mobile application store and pay for their downloads as part of their monthly mobile phone bills or have the amount deducted from their pre-paid balance.
Customers will pay for this content in local currency.
Paid for apps can soon be enjoyed by a broader base of consumers through operator billing, in addition to the existing credit card purchase mechanism.
Another area of collaboration as per the agreement is the provision of Nokia Xpress Browser for Airtel customers in Nigeria and Kenya. Xpress Browser is Nokia’s cloud-based platform for delivering a better internet experience on a number of mobile devices, including the new Asha range. The cloud-acceleration technology compresses information by up to 90 per cent to increase download speeds, reduce data costs and render pages in a format specially designed for mobile phones.
“As many African consumers will experience the internet for the first time from their mobile phone, the customised Nokia Xpress Browser is a valuable tool for Airtel subscribers in Kenya and Nigeria, whether they are seeking basic information, running their small business, or using social media to stay in touch,” the statement reads.
Chief Marketing Officer for Airtel Africa, Andre Beyers asserted that “There are huge opportunities throughout Africa to transform how people communicate and how communities interact. Delivering on that opportunity through mobile communications for everyone is our focus. ”
He added that Airtel’s partnership with Nokia “Underlines our commitment to the growth of Africa’s communications sector and contributes towards bridging the digital divide on the continent.”
“Partnering with world class organizations on such a large scale will galvanize the sector in Africa and be a catalyst for growth,” Beyers said.
Meanwhile, Nokia Middle East Africa, Head of Solution Sales, Olivier Mas said “Nokia’s commitment to Africa goes beyond the provision of quality mobile phones. Our focus is on bringing real consumer value through relevant content and services and by igniting the local ecosystem to do the same. Partnerships are a critical part of this strategy and we are pleased to be working closely with Airtel Africa to deliver on our consumer promise.”
