Under the agreement, Nokia has provided its MMS Center, the Nokia Multimedia Terminal Gateway for non-MMS phones, and a dedicated Nokia WAP Gateway. It has also supplied the complete Nokia m-Position solution for mobile location services.
Smart’s multimedia messaging service allows subscribers with MMS-capable phones to send animated e-cards, polyphonic ring tones, cartoons and movies, as well as various kinds of photo messaging. Smart recently launched these services under such brand names as Fun Pix, Traffic Shots, Poly Tones, Card Toons and Real Pix.
Location-based services offered by Smart include Smart zed Establishment Finder (for locating business establishments), Person Finder (for locating friends and relatives), and Safe Taxi (a location-based security service for taxi users).
“After developing perhaps the world’s most robust market for SMS-based services, we are very pleased to offer the most advanced multimedia and location services in the Philippines,” said Napoleon Nazareno, president and CEO of Smart. “This is the first step toward providing even more exciting services in the future, including the development of Java-based services.”
“For Nokia, this is a clear confirmation of our long-term cooperation with Smart in their efforts to bring new and creative services to the Philippine market,” said Markku Nieminen, Account Director for Smart, Nokia Networks. “Nokia has been the network provider for Smart’s GSM/GPRS network since November 1998. This deal further strengthens our cooperation with a valued client like Smart.”
Nokia has among the wireless industry’s most extensive track record in MMS with close to 40 customers to date and an ever-growing number of launched systems, making multimedia messaging a reality for today’s mobile consumers. In addition, the Nokia m-Position has been commercially deployed by 12 operators in seven countries.
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed broadband and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet, Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is one of the most broadly held companies in the world with listings on six major exchanges.