Nokia recently concluded the pilot phase of its pioneering Life Tools service in Maharashtra, India, and the results show that subscribers are reaping the benefits. Nokia Life Tools will launch commercially India-wide in the first half of 2009. The service will be enabled in the Nokia 2320 and Nokia 2323, which will soon begin shipping, and on more devices to be announced later in the year.

Users of the Agriculture Service described that they were better informed about market rates for their produce. Farmers found that getting prices daily on their mobile phones reduced their dependency on agents for basic information. Now with greater awareness on market conditions, there was newfound confidence in their negotiations with the agents. There was also resounding appreciation for the time and money saved from not having to make multiple trips to the market place to get the latest rates.

“I believe in working rigorously to enhance my livelihood and lifestyle and I expect that Nokia Life Tools services will help me in validating the desired information,” said a farmer and trader from Tuljapur, Amravati.

Benefitting from the Agriculture service also related to having advanced information about weather, news and crop advisory services like information about probable diseases, weather based disruptions and tips for more successful harvests. Farmers could plan labour, sowing, harvesting and selling better, and with more predictable results than they were able to before they started using Life Tools.

A 25-year-old second-year Master of Arts student in Hindi, who is also a trader and owns an electronics repair and CD shop, said: “Nokia Life Tools has given me many directions that I can take related to my education, agriculture business and my overall individual status. It has the potential to change my future.”

The pilot program of Nokia Life Tools in India was launched in December 2008, with services in Agriculture, Learn English, General Knowledge and Astrology. During the pilot period, buyers of the Nokia 2600 classic or the Nokia 1680 classic – which came enabled with the service – had the option to purchase subscriptions to the Nokia Life Tools services that were most relevant to them. Results showed that a significant number of subscribers had signed up for approximately two of the services on average, reflecting that the services were relevant to a wide cross-section of the society.