Last month Nokia announced the winners of its 2006 Forum Nokia PRO Awards, recognizing leading mobile applications, content and services successfully deployed in markets around the world and developed by members of Nokia's advanced global developer program, Forum Nokia PRO, with more than 400 member companies worldwide.

Currently deployed in markets in Asia, Europe and the United States and built to run on handsets based on both Series 40 and S60 platforms, winners of the 2006 Forum Nokia Pro Awards were selected from more than 100 contest entries by an independent panel of mobile industry experts, including leading journalists and analysts. 

Entry in the awards competition was open to members of Forum Nokia PRO, which range from start-up companies specializing in mobile applications to many of the world's technology giants. Forum Nokia PRO offers members premium benefits that include business development support, marketing opportunities and technology access, helping to accelerate the development cycle and create larger market opportunities for qualified developers.  

The 2006 award winners in six application categories -- Games, Music, Imaging, Productivity, Enterprise and Branded Content - as well as "Developer of the Year" and "Innovator of the Year" designations each receive a one-year free membership in Forum Nokia PRO (valued at $5,000 U.S.), as well as a dedicated company information page on Forum Nokia's public website.

Winners of the 2006 Forum Nokia PRO Awards announce today include:

Best Game Application: The Silhouette Game - Telcogames U.K.  

The Silhouette Game (SiL) from UK-based Telcogames is a simple, elegant, colorful and fun game that lets players rotate and match objects to achieve a high score. Using stylized visuals and a catchy soundtrack, SiL is easy for novices to pick up, but increasingly challenging for advanced players who learn to manipulate chain combos and vie for unlockable trophies while playing the game. Founded in 2003, Telcogames provides mobile games through carriers and media partners in Europe, Russia, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Asia. For more information, visit: www.telcogames.com/
 
 
Best Enterprise Application: ColorCAM -- ColorZip SEA Pte. Ltd., Singapore

The ColorCAM analog and digital code reader application developed by Singapore-base ColorZip lets camera phones function as a scanner and digital reader, recognizing a matrix of color-coded cells affixed to any product and communicating wirelessly to retrieve corresponding data stored on a dedicated central server. ColorCAM uses world's first three-dimensional code system, ColorCode, to interpret a near-infinite number of color patterns, as well as Numeric Code capability for keypad access to services for users without camera phones. For more information, visit: www.czip.sg/
 
 
Best Imaging Application: WOWPix -- Reallusion, Inc., U.S.

The WOWPix interface application developed by Silicon Valley-based Reallusion, Inc., lets smartphone users bring their favorite photos to life through a motion sequence that animates still photos, whether in standby mode or tagged to incoming calls, for Caller ID, or use as an Alarm or Timer. In addition to its 3D animated phone personalization capabilities, WOWPix also provides complete imaging and camera functionality, from image capture to animate MMS generation. For more information, visit: www.reallusion.com
 
 
Best Music Application: Orange TV (MobiTV/MobiRadio) -- Idetic, U.S.

MobiTV, deployed as Orange TV in the U.K. and available in North America through Cingular Wireless, Sprint PCS, Rogers Wireless and other regional carriers, provides smartphone users with an exciting live audio and video lineup, including up to 50 music channels and a wide variety of news, entertainment and sports TV programming on their mobile handsets. The Emmy® award-winning MobiTV service turns smartphones in a portable radio and TV, letting users listen to their preferred music channel or watch their favorite TV programs right in the palm of their hand. For more information, visit: www.mobitv.com/radio/  
 
 
Best Productivity Application: SNAPin Self Service -- SNAPin Software,  U.S.       
 
SNAPin Self Service provides users with interactive, context sensitive assistance through an on-device SelfService Guide that helps mobile workers easily understand and maximize the capabilities of their smartphone devices themselves, while freeing them up for more productive activities through reduction of time-consumer customer service calls to their carrier. By adding automated self-service intelligence to mobile devices, SNAPin Self Service also helps operators to reduce costs associated with the self-service call volume, while enabling growth of incremental revenue by helping to drive usage of advanced phone features by subscribers. For more information, visit: www.snapin.com    

Best Branded Content Application: ShoZu - Cognima Ltd., U.K.

The ShoZu service available from UK-based Cognima Ltd., gives smartphone users single-source access to a broad choice of branded and non-branded content from a variety of web communities, content portals and other online sources. Services include Share-It for one-click upload to the user's video or photo-sharing website or to blogs or news sites, an automated Back-Up Contacts service, and ZuCasts - delivering in the background and automatically the latest music videos, TV shows and other digital entertainment and information from a variety of branded content providers to a subscriber's smartphone. For more information, visit: www.shozu.com
 
 
Developer of the Year: Refresh Mobile, Ltd.  Mobizine

Refresh Mobile is a global mobile solutions company that provides tools and supporting services to content publishers and mobile operators in order to deliver a compelling service to the mobile end user.  Refresh Mobile was chosen "Developer of the Year" for its Mobizines application, letting mobile subscribers read their favorite magazines, find out more about their favorite TV shows, find their favorite music, stay clued up on gossip or stay up to date with the news all in one place through a personalized user homepage. There is no up front subscription cost or lengthy registration process for Mobizines, which makes content available in the richest possible way at the lowest possible price to the customer. For more information, visit: www.refreshmobile.com  
 
 
Innovator of the Year: SNAPin Software, Inc, U.S.  SNAPin Self Service

SNAPin Software develops self-service software for mobile devices, leverage the power of the mobile phone itself to resolve problems and to drive service revenues. SNAPin was chosen "Innovator of the Year" for its SNAPin SelfService product suite, which lets operators deliver their own branded self-service experience to their subscribers, delivering interactive promotions and context-sensitive training on every device, driving adoption of advanced services and generating incremental revenue. It supports all mobile devices and networks, giving operators an unprecedented ability to monitor and manage their subscribers' service experience. SNAPin is a privately owned company with offices in Bellevue, Washington and London, England. For more information, visit: www.snapin.com