Nokia E7-Redifining Success With Some Fun !

Nairobi, Kenya, May 5^th 2011: Nothing beats the chirp of conversations from a battery of bloggers and journalists huddled in a room. Speaking of latest trends on issues ranging from traffic jam to emerging technology developments, it’s always tempting to listen in among groups, for fear of missing out on details of what’s the hottest tech thing in the market. 

So when Dorothy Ooko, Nokia’s Head of Communications for East and Southern Africa, called the Ovi Happy Hour gathering at Sierra to order, it seemed like many were cut short. But they didn’t know that what lay in store was bound to lighten the chilly evening-significantly.

The night for the Ovi Happy Hour was aptly themed “Success Redefined” the tag-line associated with Nokia’s latest business smart phone, the E7. Seeing the E7 though the eyes of those who have already used it was an experience in itself. Hailed as the all-in-one business smartphone, the Nokia E7 is the new-age Communicator. Boasting a Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support alongside 4-inch AMOLED touchscreen display and a slide out four-row QWERTY keyboard, the E7 hit the Kenyan market during the last week of April.

First off was Tim Njiru, making an interesting pitch of the Nokia E7’s 8-megapixel camera. Tim wowed the crowd with clear, if cheeky photos he’d a couple of kids “in my rounds.” And he’d more serious photos, this time from a South Africa Airways plane before take-off. Here he had exploited the full-screen 16:9 viewfinder with its easy-to-use touch screen parameters pretty well.

Clearly in love with the apps and the Nokia maps, Tim did not hide his inclination for WhatsApp, cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS and a messenger too. Next was Gravity, a full-featured Twitter Client with a gorgeous, highly praised user interface. Tim made good of his five-minute pitch to talk about how Gravity supports multiple Twitter accounts, image-uploading TwitPic and TwitGoo, multiple Twitter-searches.

Running short of time, Tim spoke of the Nokia Maps, explaining how useful the maps can get especially to strangers in new places. And in keeping with the week’s happenings, Tim even had a screen-grab he took the previous evening from the cable-news channel CNN as Michael Holmes captured events leading to the Royal Wedding. What a close to make.  

Moses Kemibaro, a renowned IT consultant and blogger took to the floor next and called the E7 “a fantastic work-horse phone for business people.” Picking out the phones capabilities-to integrate office with social media tools, Kemibaro said the fact that the phone had a combination of touch-screen and QWERTY keyboard made it a cool thing to have for everyone.

Not to be outdone, Dorothy Ooko stepped forward and spoke of the of Nokia’s keenness in making user-friendly devices. Dorothy was fast to speak of her affinity to the N8 but she added that the E7 had that added advantage of the flip which would help enhance ease of use especially for business people.

Kenneth Oyolla Nokia GM for East and Southern Africa speaking of his Nokia E7 experience

Perhaps presenting one of most core benefits of the E7 on this afternoon, Dorothy demonstrated to an eager crowd in the room, how easy it is to draft and edit documents from the E7 even sending a dud document to her boss from the phone. She went further to show how to use the Microsoft Communicator on the phone. Gripping stuff.

In the process of updating the crowd on whether he’d ‘received’ the demo document from Dorothy a few minute before, Ken Oyolla, Nokia’s General Manager for East and Southern Africa got into the team of presenters on the evening. But he spoke of the E7’s entertainment front, a relevant element for any business person who travels often. So Ken took time to speak of travel apps such as the World Traveler, which he said was “a must have free and premium services for travelers.”

Kenneth Oyolla Nokia GM for East and Southern Africa demonstrating how an E7 streams TV

“The app has an amazing in-built virtual ‘flight assistant’, which many will find handy for searching flight schedules of major and low cost airlines as well as real-time alerts regarding delays, cancellations and gate changes,” said Oyolla.

He captured the need of the app well, especially for travellers who inevitably get confused about the time difference while abroad. Ken spoke of how useful World Traveller is on info regarding weather, currencies.

It’s unbelievable that such qualities would be wrapped in a single device, the Nokia E7. Listening all round, it appeared there are a few other things would so suitably redefine success. No wonder, then, that everyone wanted to stick around for a word or two with the Nokia team, or have a beer to go with the fun at the event.

Computers in Schools Event At I-HUB

Computers in schools - wouldn't smartphones be better?
 I have to create a buzz for the above event that will be taking place @Ihub this Friday.
 Wayan Vota, a noted expert on ICT and education  will be discussing the role of mobile phones (and computers) in Kenyan education on Friday March 4th, at the iHub.This will be particularly interesting especially as the whole Country is engulfed in the 2010 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education(KCSE) results released yesterday by the Minister for Education Professor Sam Ongeri.

Mr Vota will explore the possibility of I-pads  and Tablets replace the use of the traditional laptop and Desktops.Considering their size and portability making them available to students in the rural area's may  prove expedient ,less costly save for the actual costs of the items.

Smartphones for schools could be more viable (cost, personable, and battery life) than computers. Yet computers have the form factor, training programs, and applications for education.

See you there at the Ihub on Friday , but do not forget to register(they are throwing in an Ideos phone-now that's a cool incentive dont you think?)
Computers in schools - wouldn't smartphones be better?
Friday, March 04, 9-11AM
@ iHub
Upper Hill Estate, 4th Floor,
Bishop Magua Centre, George Padmore Lane
Nairobi

"Nokia Money"- Safaricom Mpesa Here Comes The Big Boys !

Nokia has launched a mobile phone payment/money transfer service in India that closely resembles the Safaricom M-Pesa service model that was first rolled out in Kenya by the Vodafone affiliate in 2007.

The M- Pesa concept(see wikipedia stub) made it possible for people to transact business without the need to visit a Bank premise or to make actual physical payment of money.In essence M-Pesa is branch less banking service.The Nokia Money scheme is a replication of the M-Pesa money transfer model and seems to be offering no added value.The service will be first rolled out in India and thereafter on a Country by Country basis.

Nokia money will allow subscribers to transfer money, pay  merchants for goods and services,pay utility bills ,carry out online transactions and even top up their phone credit.Without doubt Nokia has the financial muscle and it is quite telling why the service was rolled out in India first as opposed to Africa where mobile money transfer schemes are readily catching up like wild fire. Indeed Safaricom the big boys are coming your way so it is time that the service was made more affordable both for the sender and recipient of the money transfer and of course more innovative. 

The Nokia group hopes that the new service will help extend its profitability beyond device sales. Indeed, the company is targeting  to have 300 million active users of its services by the end of 2011.Nokia money is aimed to work on any device, not just Nokia phones and will feature joint partnerships or collaboration with local banks.Of course here at A Nairobians Perspective we are eager to see how all this rolls out and of course experience the benefits of competition in the service industry.

Google Phone Nexus Official Release

Google has begun 2010 with a release of its Google Phone Nexus One- a phone(Goophone) completely powered by the free source Android Mobile Technology Platform 2.1 , I love its cool look!The 5 Megapixel camera phone has  a capacity of :

• 512MB Flash
• 512MB Random Access Memory(RAM)
• 4 GB Micro SD Card expandable to 32 GB(for the complete specs please visit the official site link)

The phone is generating a lot of online buzz for good reason,  users are eager to find out what the price is , well, without a service plan the phone is expected to cost US Dollars $ 529 , im at the Google Cashout store to check out the prices though  am not certain they are shipping the  Google Phone Nexus One to Kenya

Free Ringtone for Your Mobile Phone(Waptrik.Com)

If you have a 3g or internet enabled mobile phone and are not interested in all those websites, service providers who charge you a monthly fee or some hefty amount to download the latest music mp3 ringtones,polyphonic ringtones , 3gp Videos ,aac ringtones ,video ringtones downloads and Short Message Service(SMS) Alert tones .Then just visit www.waptrik.com and download quality ringtones/alert tones including the latest tunes absolutely for free.

The site can be only accessed through your internet enabled phone and not through your personal desktop computer,notebook or laptop browser.Visit Waptrik.Com and download rintones for free.And thank me for sharing!

Nokia Kenya- Research Centre's !

Nokia cellphones are just ideal!!!I have been an ardent fan of Nokia phones ever since i owned a mobile phone.If you are like me you probably cherish the 3310(most Kenyans first phone apart from Alcatel...remember those phones?) which were readily famed in the Kenya in the late 1990's.I owned one until thieves decided to raid our house in Ongata Rongai and we had to throw our phones over the window to stave them off.So the news that Nokia was opening Research and Development(R&D)offices in Kenya was great news!

The R& D offices will aid Nokia company to design products and services that are relevant and tailor made for the local users.According to a KBC interview of Jussi Impio "As of April 1, 2007, Nokia had R&D centers in 11 countries and employed 14,500 people in research and development, representing approximately 32% of Nokia's total workforce. The R& D centres expenses totaled EUR 3,9 billion in 2006, representing 9,5% of Nokia's net sales. It is apparently seen that Nokia invests a substantial portion of its resources in research and development activities within its principal business groups; Mobile Phones, Multimedia and Enterprise Solutions, Technology Platforms, and in the Nokia Research Center (NRC).Certainly consumers appreciate receiving such attention and care.



Nokia Pilots:
To buttress this position Nokia has only recently launched its online Nokia Pilots recruitment initiative to enable it gather vital information from its consumers.the Nokia pilots programe enables individuals to have a unique opportunity to get involved in Nokia's creative processes.Nokia Pilots Subcribers also get the rare opportunity to sneak peek the latest trends and a chance to see get some of their feedback and suggestions implemented.In yesterdays news(see YouTube Video)Nokia Kenya launched an initiative to help Kenyan Musicians tap into their potential and identify development opportunities using mobile technology.

We now look foward to the positive contributions that Kenyan R&D centres and Nokia Pilots will bring to Africa where mobile telecommunication is rapidly bridging the development divide!

NB: if you are interested in purchasing the latest mobile phones within Kenyan/East African region including the Nokia E71 see the following links: http://mea.nokia.com/english , OR Kenya's first online shopping mall at http://ke.gadgetsguru.com/index.aspx

Zains New Vuka Tariff !

Zain Kenya yesterday launched a new product VUKA tariff plan that will see their subscribers pay Kenya Shillings 8/- per minute on per second billing accross all networks!!!SMS cost is Kenya Shillings 3 bob per SMS accross all networks. That is the cheapest tariff charges being offered in Kenya among the major networks i.e Safaricom, Orange and Econet !Zain has taken a bruising battle to Safaricom and unlike previous practice Safaricom slumbers and continues to take the fatal blows to the dismay of its subscribers!

Safaricom IPO:
I believe that my opinion article on Safaricom Slumber is now starting to bear its truth.With the new Vuka Tariff much awaits to be seen as to how Safaricom's marketing department will counter this threat.My motto is "NEVER LOOSE A CUSTOMER".I hope Safaricom has a similar mindset.The Safaricom IPO marked the begining towards the declination of vodafone's affiliate company - Safaricom's dominance of the Kenyan mobile market! The Mobitelea Shares controversy didnt even make the matter better.I pity Safaricom shareholders as their shares continue to decline!


The Vuka Tariff Ripple:
For Zain Subscribers to change subscription to the New Vuka tariff all they need to do is dial *123*8# if on pre -paid tariff or dial *128*8# if on postpaid tariff.Vuka is value for money.Thanks Zain!Safaricom sleep still and sleep some more remember Orange and Zain are now here and with unlocked dual SIM phones around watch your subscriber base erode !

Cheap International Phone Cards!

I have a relative in Pittsburgh ,Pennsylvania who just recommended to me cheap international call cards subsequent to which i thought i should feature it in this blog.To purchase the cheapest international calling cards just visit http://www.therichcom.com/for the widest array of international calling cards without hidden connection fees,just talk time!

The site is especially ideal for india phone cards at ideal rates.So if you are located in India give it a try at the hyperlink in this sentence.The Rich.com have a most competitive calling rates for international pre paid calling cards and are authoritative.Just Google the term cheap international phone cards and you will find out what i mean(they have the highest Google page ranking on the specific keywords)Thus unlike some shadowy unknown, phony internet company , the Rich.com comes out as a genuinely authentic retailer,competitor and leader in its niche.

Rich.com customers can purchase prepaid phone cards to call international destinations ranging from Asia to middle east and Europe. Customers also have the option of using their web site to search for best phone cards to call from United States to virtually anywhere in the world with much cheaper rates than from large companies like at&t, sprint, etc.For example to cal to Africa-Nigeria may be as little as 1.7 cents,Zimbabwe 1 cent,Botswana 3.3 cents etc.Now thats what i call competitive rates!

Mobile Tv -Another Reason To Buy Safaricom Shares!

Mobile phones have revolutionised the flow of information in Africa.The service providers have raked in millions of dollars due to the mobile industry and the services mobile phone tend to open up.The profits are set to rise tremendously with the advent of Mobile Tv which will essentially mean a wider advertisement market which can be appropriately be dubbed"adverts on the go".I foreseably see Safaricom being among the first companies to venture into this avenue in Kenya and that means profits.

Mobile Tv involves merging mobile phone services with television content over cellular networks.Unlike traditional television sets, mobile phones offer unmatchable advantages such as:

• Ease in mobility


• Selectivity of content(i.e. video on demand)


• Interactive TV


• Internet facilities

Hence of necessity the mobile service provider that will bid and buy the license to provide mobile content will increase its profit and viability.Mobile Tv content currently can be supplied through a number of formats including a two-way cellular network and the second is through a one-way dedicated broadcast network. These include digital video broadcasting-handheld (DVB-H), digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), TDtv (based on TD-CDMA technology from [IPWireless]), 1seg (based on Japan's ISDB-T), DAB and MediaFLO. (courtesy of wikipedia inc)The Eu recently endorsed the DVB-H(Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds) as its uniform platform among the member states so as to achieve consistency and interconectivity among the member states.The DVB-H standard has also been adopted by South Africa with Multi Choice the providers of DSTV taking the lead in establishing the service(see here for the press release)Nigeria has similarly followed suit link here .It is expected that there will be over 500 million mobile tv customers worldwide by 2011.At the moment South Korea is the most advanced mobile tv market with over 10% of its population using TV enabled mobile phones. In Britain mobile tv service is provided by the Virgin Group subsidiary company Virgin Mobile among other players in the industry.

The traditional TV providers such as Kenya Broadcasting Corporation(KBC), Kenya Television Network(KTN) and Nation Television(NTV) should brace themselves for the competition that will arise due to this facility that can be supported by CDMA enabled, 3G and 4G mobile phones.DSTV Africa have actually taken the lead in launching the service hence the competition is iminent. In contemplation of digital advances the Nation Media group recently established an ITC department to specifically deal with such challenges.

On the international front the license costs quite some amount for example the San Diego based Qualcomm Inc the largest maker of chips that power cell phones recently purchased a radio spectrum(6 megahertz) network at 554.6 million .It is expected that the license to operate and provide mobile TV content in Kenya will be priced differently and at a higher rate from the usual TV and Radio broadcasting rights.Whatever the case the service should be amply priced so as to benefit the ordinary mwananchi.The fact that the internet will soon take over fromTelevision advertisements as the biggest advertising medium in Britain according to a report by Internet Advetising Bureau(IAB),Pricewaterhouse and Coopers and the World Advertising Centre further propounds the potential of internet enabled mobile phones as the next big thing in the advertisement industry.

In the local scene with new products such as M-Pesa(mobile banking) and prospects of mobile tv coming up one has all the more reasons to own shares in Safaricom.

Sneak Preview of the Goophone

There 's been alot of specualtion about Google joining the Mobile market especially after the company announcing that it will soon buy a block of wireless spectrum from the US government and more so due to its "android" project and "xohm"(the impending nationwide WiMax network).



Bidding is expected to commence as from 24th January 2008.Speculation is rife as to how the phone will look, but should it look like the photo hereinabove, i will positively not buy it(the apple i-phone looks much better).But its certainly exciting to see the mutation of the mobile phone and the angle the future of search is taking!