Nokia Enables Localized Ads & Services on Smartphones

Nokia is introducing a Local Marketing Solution that will deliver localized and timed ads and services to customers' smartphones via short-range radio technologies, such as Bluetooth. The Nokia Local Marketing Solution enables mobiel operators and service providers to advertise their own and partner services in relevant places, at relevant times, on smartphones.


Nokia offered several examples of its Local Marketing Solution. For instance, in the morning, a user receives the bus schedule into her smartphone as she approaches the bus station. On her way to lunch, she passes by a local pizzeria, and receives the lunch menu with the day's special offering. In the pizzeria, she can check the local news from her smartphone. On her way home, she receives a bookmark from a video rental store, and decides to go in and rent a movie. Again, when approaching the bus station, she can easily buy the bus ticket with just a few clicks. Nokia said the information that the consumer receives would be filtered according to consumer's own pre-defined preferences.


The Nokia Local Marketing Solution consists of three elements: Nokia Local Info client software for the Nokia Series 60 devices, Nokia Service Point LMP 10 and Nokia Service Manager LMM 10 system. Service Points include several Bluetooth modules and a GPRS module, situated in selected service advertisement locations, for example in a store or on a street. A Service Point uses Bluetooth technology to transmit the service offerings to compatible smartphones that pass. The Service Manager system is centralized, and connected to Service Points via a GPRS network. Commercial availability is expected by Q3 2005.


"The Nokia Local Marketing Solution brings relevant services to consumers at the right time, and in the right place. This is focused marketing, and it all happens on the consumer's own terms", said Sakari Kotola, Director, Nokia Ventures Organization. "From the point of view of operators and service providers, the solution brings revenues through increased usage of services and network, with minimum investment."http://www.nokia.com