Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, 15 September 2009 - Nokia today announced that it will collaborate with MSC Malaysia, the national ICT initiative, through a new programme that will provide support to mobile application developers and encourage digital content development in the country.

The Nokia Mobile Content Developer programme is introduced in conjunction with the recently announced MSC Malaysia Integrated Content Development (ICON) programme which provides training and support for Malaysians to develop online applications. The programme also provides conditional grants of up to RM100,000 for innovative ideas with good commercialisation potential, with the aim to encourage the development and distribution of innovative online content and services.

The objective of the programme is to enhance local developer competencies in mobile development, support the development, publishing and distribution from conceptualization to commercialization of their ideas.

“Mobile content development and web run-time widgets are key drivers to the growth and evolution of the Mobile Internet. We anticipate rapid growth in this industry as consumers continue to look for their own customised personal mobile experience. By offering the largest business opportunity and robust technology, together with strategic players in the ecosystem such as MSC Malaysia, we aim to support developers in bringing their ideas and innovations to market,” said Kenny Mathers, Head of Developer Relations and Marketing, Forum Nokia, Asia Pacific.

“The MSC Malaysia ICON programmes aim to create and enhance the value of the local digital content to make it more compelling for the users in the online environment. We are heartened with this collaboration as this will certainly spark the interest of our creative developers, especially among the youth, as well as to get more people to use the digital media,” said Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, CEO of Multimedia Development Corporation.

Developers are invited to submit concepts for applications that utilize web run-time (WRT) technology and are able to run on new Nokia Symbian smartphones, including Nokia Symbian devices with touch, and which feature homescreen widgets.

Concepts for mobile applications such as location-enabled services, news and information related services, social networking applications, enablement of retail and commerce, music and entertainment type services and many more are welcomed for submission.

Applicants for the Developer Program grant are required to submit their proposal and concept paper to MDeC for review. Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation panel for how innovative and compelling the user experience is, how robust the application or planed implementation is, and how well it exploits the capabilities and features of Nokia devices and the web technologies in building the applications.

Shortlisted applications will then be sent to MDeC for grant approval. Once approved, applicants will be provided funding and required to attend training organized by Forum Nokia and MDeC to help build advanced skills for widget development.

Nokia, through the Forum Nokia organization, will provide accelerated development and go-to-market support to help successful applicants complete and deploy their mobile content and applications through the Ovi Store, an evolving media service that consolidates existing content services into a one-stop shop for free and paid content.

For more information and detalis on how to apply, check out www.mscmalaysia.my/topic/ICON.

About Nokia
Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the world’s leading maker of mobile devices. Today, we are connecting people in new and different ways - fusing advanced mobile technology with personalized services to enable people to stay close to what matters to them. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ; and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

www.nokia.com

About MSC Malaysia - www.mscmalaysia.my

MSC Malaysia is the national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiative spearheaded by the Malaysian Government to develop and promote the ICT industry. A test-bed for the global ICT industry, MSC Malaysia provides a conducive enabling environment designed to facilitate companies to harness their full potential.

With its ideal business environment coupled with availability of talent resources, MSC Malaysia has attracted participation from major global ICT companies to develop and host their leading-edge technologies in the designated MSC Malaysia Cybercities. MSC Malaysia also provides the ideal growth environment for Malaysian ICT SMEs to transform themselves into world-class companies.

Steering the development of this initiative is Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) a government implementation agency set up as a company to drive the MSC Malaysia vision of an innovation-led, knowledge-rich and progressive society and nation.


Media Enquiries:
Hazel Abu Samah
Communications Manager
Nokia Singapore/Malaysia & Brunei
Tel. 03-2786 8888
Email: hazel.abu-samah@nokia.com

Dalilah Ibrahim
PR & Media Relations Manager
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC)
Tel. 012-328 1727
Email : dalilah@mdec.com.my

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