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Sunday, Aug 24, 2008
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Passage to India for Finland’s phone-wallahs

Sandeep Joshi

They are looking at local tie-ups for their ‘cool tools’

Nokia’s NFC technology enables mobile to double as smart card
Valimo Wireless’ solution transforms mobile phone into ID card

Helsinki: Leading wireless players in Finland are eyeing the world’s fastest growing phone market: They are poised to enter the Indian ‘mobile maidan’ with technologies they believe will be found both compelling and cost-effective. In addition to the world’s number one handset maker, Nokia, they include less familiar names such as Valimo Wireless, Openbit and UpCode.

Nokia plans to showcase its Near Field Communication technology where a mobile phone can double as a multi-purpose smart card for various transactions.

The company is working with the State Bank of India to create meaningful applications.

“Imagine your credit cards, loyalty cards, and travel card all inside your mobile phone. You can also access your favourite websites, get travel timetables, beside make phone calls, sending text messages, and share information with your friends just by tapping your mobile phone to reach shortcut,” suggests Waldemar Sakalus, Nokia’s Vice-President, Devices Experiences.

Online banking

Valimo Wireless’ solution transforms any mobile phone into an ID card and signature pen, for online and mobile services. A user-chosen signing PIN number tells the SIM card to generate a digital signature, sent via encrypted SMS. “Consumers can use their mobile phone for legally binding signing of documents like PDF files and email; private network access , secure online banking and even cardless ATM withdrawals,” says Antti Vihavainen, Valimo’s Senior Vice-President (Business Development and Professional Services). “We hope to start our operations soon in India,” he adds.

Openbit, a Helsinki-based company, which was recently acquired by Indian mobile services provider Tanla Solutions Ltd, integrates on-device payment and DRM (digital rights management) for mobile applications. Its multi-platform solution covers all major phone software systems. Openbit provides subscriber charging services in nearly 90 operator networks worldwide.

Extract information

UpCode offers a “Mobile Access & Interaction Systems” that uses mobile phones or devices to extract information from printed products and electronic information on screens. One can access information by just pointing a mobile phone at a code that immediately connects to the Internet site containing the data. One can download the UpCode programme to a mobile phone free of charge.

When will we see these mobile applications in India? “Wait and see,” say these developers from Finland, “we’re coming soon to the phone in your hand!”

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