Accra, May 10, GNA - Nokia and MTN Group have signed an agreement to expand their strategic relationship to new markets within Middle East and Africa MTN affiliates.

A statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Tuesday by MTN, said the Framework agreement signed in Dubai and Johannesburg, would permit the large community of MTN customers to benefit from the integration of Nokia devices and solutions. Joint marketing and sales campaigns will be designed on a regional level and will bring consumers the latest Nokia mobile phones and smartphones, combined with value added services such as orientation and navigation tools, for seamless mobile communications while at work, home or on the go. Building on previous success stories such as the joint launch of the Nokia C3 with MTN data and value add package in Nigeria, and the launch of the Nokia E7 and business tools for corporate clients in South Africa, the intention is to drive similar bundles, services and experiences in other MTN markets to add value to consumers. The two companies will also collaborate to create hyper-local applications, such as Ovi Life Tools, which will soon be officially launched in Nigeria, bringing value to consumers through the provision of locally relevant data for farming, education and entertainment. Mr Christian De Faria, Senior Vice President, Commercial and Innovation MTN Group said, 93Going to the market with a strategic partner like Nokia is of prime importance for our operations. We are convinced that our MTN customers will obtain immediate advantages for their cost effective and reliable communications thanks to a strong brand such as Nokia."

Mr Chris Braam, Vice President for Nokia Middle East and Africa, added: 93A strategic partnership agreement with MTN Group brings us an additional opportunity to strengthen our existing relationships and bring a strong consumer proposition to other markets." "We are committed to delivering outstanding communications technologies to the growing community of 141 million MTN subscribers in the whole of Middle East and Africa."