Q. LBS IS BEING SEEN AS THE NEXT BIG PUSH FOR THE MOBILE HANDSETS. HOW DO YOU SEE THE MARKET OF ASIA IN GENERAL AND INDIA IN PARTICULAR IN CONTEXT OF THE ABOVE REMARKS?

The mobile based navigation is taking shape and India is gearing up to adapt and adopt the new technologies. Location Based Services (LBS) helps locate the precise geographical presence of the mobile device and provide services based on this 'location' information. According to Canalys India is now the third largest smart phone market in the Asia Pacific region, after Japan and China, with quarterly shipments exceeding 1 million units for the first time in Q4 2007. Also with an expected 19 million more smart phones shipping here over the next three years it is evident that it will provide a great foundation for navigation applications and locationbased services (Source: Canalys) In India, Location Based Service service is currently in its nascent stage but there are clear indications that it will become one of the most sought after service in a few years, thanks to its tech-savvy young population.

Q. IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF LBS BEING BUNDLED INTO NOKIA'S LOW COST HANDSET OR WHAT IS GOING TO BE YOUR STRATEGY TO MAKE NAVIGATION SERVICES APPEALING TO MASSES?

Nokia is working towards making navigation and mapping in a mainstream phenomenon. Our strategy to make navigation services appealing to masses will be by introducing world class maps and enriched navigation experience through innovative devices and applications. Further using the basic navigation application as such is free, but you need to pay for the GPRS/3G connection according to your operator service plan for downloading maps from the server or searching map data in online mode.

For e.g our latest GPS device Nokia 6210 Navigator combines familiar personal navigation capability with smartphone connectivity, enabling new convergent services in a compact, pocketable all-in-one device.

The Nokia Maps 2.0 application is a fully integrated GPS navigation solution that is ready to use immediately, even without a SIM card. With the Navigator key you can easily access the application and find specific routes and locations, or locate services like restaurants and hotels. Voice guidance helps you to find the quickest way to your destination, either by walking or driving.

The complete navigation software including local country map is preinstalled and included in the sales package. The size of the memory card is 1GB. As a responsible market leader, one of the things Nokia would be focusing on is educating the mobile users on the concept and benefits of Navigation and LBS. To give a true and 'live' Navigation and mapping experience, we have also rolled out a unique initiative wherein Navigation cabs will be stationed across hundreds of our outlets in the 8 navigable cities to give users a firsthand experience of this exciting service. This will help users have an in depth understanding of the concept of maps & navigation.

Q. WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES FACING THE MASS USE OF LBS ENABLED HANDSETS IN INDIA? WHAT STRATEGIES WILL BRING LBS FOR IMMEDIATE SUCCESS?

There are lots of challenges for the widespread adoption of location-based services - one being commitment from the wireless industry to create awareness of services and to design easy-touse interfaces. Industry-wide efforts to deploy A-GPS networks, launch AGPS devices, and offer a wide range of compelling applications that meet the needs of savvy wireless users and sophisticated businesses will remain a critical success factor for locationbased services.

Further unawareness of the users on the concept of Navigation and location based services is a significant challenge. As a responsible market leader, one of the things we would be focusing on is educating the mobile users on the concept and benefits of Navigation and Location Based Services by showcasing live demos at various touch points (Shopping malls, Nokia Concept stores, Airports etc) across the 8 cities where GPS is available.

We have also rolled several consumer connect initiatives for the mass use an acceptance of Location Based Services. For e.g: N78 Fusions Challenge wherein consumers across 8 mapped cities would participate in the unique contest and explore the fun of location tagging.

Q. WHAT IMPACT LBS CAN HAVE ON USABILITY, AND HOW IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE USE MOBILE OBJECTS IN THE FUTURE?

Interest for location based services is rising in India, and the growth in GPS handsets is accelerating. As the use of location-based services not only benefits to the customers but also offers benefits to the industry, including network operators.
Create competitive differentiation: Operators who are first to offer location services, or offer unique applications, gain a competitive edge over others with their unique proposition.

Expand services: A-GPS increases the value of services that operators can offer, while also enabling a much wider range of revenue-generating services. Enhance existing services: The accurate positioning capabilities delivered by A-GPS can enhance many existing services in addition to enabling new applications. Increase 3G data usage: The use of important context information (like maps, databases, etc.) for location services or location enhanced applications can drive 3G data usage.

Protect revenue streams or create new ones - Offering location services may drive ARPU growth, increase the number of new subscribers, and/or reduce them.

Q. HOW DO YOU SEE THE ENTRY OF iPHONE WITH GPS AND SIMILAR MOBILE DEVICES ENTERING THIS MARKET?

It is an interesting device and competition is always a good and stimulating thing for all. Looking at the iPhone it is clear that Apple shares Nokia's vision of phones becoming more like multimedia devices - one device that can do lots of different things so you don't have to carry a separate GPS device, music player, camera, phone, etc. This is something we have been working on for some time now and are focused on using design to make these experiences that people love to use.

We strongly believe that traditional single purpose, non-connected, devices like MP3 players and cameras will be marginalized and overtaken by converged multimedia devices in the future. We are the clear global market leader in converged multimedia devices with almost 60.5 million devices sold globally in 2007. In fact, we have already rolled out 14.6 million converged devices in Q1 2008.

Nokia products have long been recognized for being easy to use and having an intuitive user interface and we are committed to offer the ultimate mobile convergence experience to our consumers, where people can participate, interact and share their experiences with the world.