Nokia urges brands to ride wave of apps

By FREDRICK OBURA

Nokia is calling upon leading corporates and brands in Kenya to take advantage of application store in handsets to increase interactions with their target audiences through mobile apps.

Agatha Gikunda EDX Lead, Nokia East and Southern Africa, said such application stores have become the main developer-to-consumer distribution channel in recent years.

"Most phone users are now using app stores as their primary source of information."

In May 2010, Ovi store for instance only had 2 local apps, but this has tremendously grown to 530 apps of which 15 belong to local companies.

"We would like to connect consumers to what matters most and that requires us to drive the local mobile ecosystem to generate relevant content," Ms Gikunda said.

New channel

"Nokia Store opens up a new channel for companies and brands in Kenya for market visibility and direct consumer engagement," she said, adding that customers are now doing a lot more with their devices beyond talking and texting, and brands can better reach their clients using apps.

The rise of smartphones, combined with the reduction of mobile Internet costs, has increased the use of applications by consumers as their source of information on services.

During the release of company’s spend in 2011, Milward Brown urged local brands to look into new technologies in reaching out to consumers.

Citing recent survey released by Communication Commission of Kenya, the research firm said there was growing use of IT in the country.