Singapore, July 30, 2009 - (ACN Newswire) - Nokia together with Media Development Authority (MDA) and Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) will kick off a joint initiative - the Mobile Lifestyle Call for Proposal (CFP). This initiative is part of FutureMobile partner network's objective to develop or distribute successful on-the-move content and applications. The Mobile Lifestyle CFP welcomes local developers and publishers to develop innovative and compelling on-the-move applications with funding assistance of up to $50,000 for each selected project.

A key objective of the programme is to support small local developers and publishers to enhance their competencies in mobile development, publishing and distribution from conceptualization to commercialization of their ideas without the financial barrier. The initiative will be supported by MDA and administered and managed by SiTF.

Singapore is an excellent hub for innovation and this initiative serves to boost the development of local talents and marry their applications with the business opportunity for worldwide distribution through Ovi Store and other Nokia channels to millions of consumers at once.

Kenny Mathers, Head of Developer Relations & Marketing for Forum Nokia, APAC said, "We are excited to launch the Mobile Lifestyle CFP with MDA and SiTF, to see what kind of interesting ideas that local developers and publishers will bring to the fore with funding assistance for their application development. We will support these developers through Forum Nokia and provide them with prioritized technical assistance and a global distribution channel to consumers through the Ovi Store and other Nokia channels. At Nokia, we believe in driving innovation with developers to bring exciting and compellingapplications to our consumers and enhance their mobile lifestyles."

Mr Michael Yap, Director, Interactive Media and Games, MDA said: "We are glad to have Nokia and SiTF on board to collaborate on the FutureMobile Partner Network. With major industry players coming on board, we are positive that Singapore-made content and applications will be able to travel beyond our shores and craft a competitive advantage in the regional and global markets. We hope the local developers and publishers will seize this opportunity as a way of expanding their market access."

"We are extremely delighted to be working with Nokia and the MDA to implement the Mobile Lifestyle programme initiative," said Mark Randolph, Chairman for the SiTF Mentorship Programme. He added: "An important element of SiTF's mandate is to foster IDM technology innovation as a key driver of IT industry growth in Singapore. Through this collaboration with our mentorship programme, SiTF will be able to apply considerably more focus on young startups in the mobile application space. SiTF member companies, most notably Nokia, will mentor and groom this group of developers and help them to transform into successful companies."

Developers are invited to submit concepts forapplications that utilize web run-time (WRT) technology and are able to run on new Nokia S60 smartphones, including the flagship N97 which is based on the latest S60 5th Edition Operating System and features Homescreen widgets. Concepts for applications can include mobile location-enabled services, news and information related services, social networking applications, mobile enablement of retail and commerce, mobile music and entertainment type services and many more.

Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation panel for how innovative and compelling the user experience is, how robust the application or planned implementation is, and how well it exploits the capabilities and features of Nokia devices and the web technologies in building the applications.

For more information and details on how to apply, check out www.mda.gov.sg or www.sitf.org.sg


About Forum Nokia

Nokia's global developer program, Forum Nokia connects developers to tools, technical information, support, and distribution channels they can use to build and market applications around the globe. From offices in the U.S., Europe, India, Japan, China, and Singapore, Forum Nokia provides technical and business development support to developers and operators to assist them in achieving their goal of successfully launching applications and services to consumers and enterprises. More information is available at www.forum.nokia.com.

About Singapore infocomm Technology Federation

The Singapore infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) is Singapore's premier infocomm industry association. It brings together almost 400 corporate members from MNCs and local companies. The SiTF assists our members in business development, market intelligence, overseastrade missions, networking and alliances.

SiTF has eight chapters under its wing - Best Sourcing, Digital Media, eGovernment, eLearning, Singapore Enterprise, Security & Governance, Service Oriented Architecture and Wireless. SiTF also owns and manages the Infocomm Singapore Centre (ISC) in Shanghai and has a joint venture with Hangzhou e-Software Park (HZESP) to set up the solution centre in Hangzhou, China, to give local infocomm companies a foothold into the China market. For more information on SiTF, please visit www.sitf.org.sg. About MDA

Formed in 2003, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) plays a vital role in transforming Singapore into a Global Media City and positioning it at the forefront of the digital media age. MDA spearheads initiatives that promote developments in film, video, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation, media services and Interactive Digital Media. At the same time, in ensuring clear and consistent regulatory policies and guidelines, MDA helps to foster a pro-business environment for industry players and increase media choices for consumers. For more information, visit www.mda.gov.sg and www.smf.sg.

Source: MDA

Contact:

Foo Wen Dee
Senior Manager, Communications
Southeast Asia Pacific
Nokia
Tel: +65 6723 2323
www.nokia-asia.com

Text100 Public Relations
+65 6557 2717
Email: nokia@text100.com.sg

Ms Jasmine Wong
Manager, Communications
Media Development Authority
Tel: +65 97263158
Email: Jasmine_Wong@mda.gov.sg

Jacqueline Khoo
Marketing & Development Manager
Singapore infocomm Technology Federation
Tel: +65 6325 9713
Email: jacquie.khoo@sitf.org.sg