There are 20 capabilities, which are divided according to the picture below:

Capabilities provide access to certain sensitive APIs and functions. Capabilities are granted only if there is a valid need for them and there is no other existing means to get the same functionality. Please notice that Symbian Signed is not mandatory, if your application uses only unrestricted APIs or user-grantable capabilities.

Access to most sensitive APIs and capabilities is granted after the S60 platform and Nokia’s approval. The process for getting these capabilities is described below.

The first step is to make a developer certificate request at www.symbiansigned.com. Forum Nokia takes care of the capability request review and approval. When a request is approved, the developer is granted access rights to Symbian Signed for Nokia, which is a restricted portal for this purpose. The test set for applications with sensitive capabilities is Symbian Signed Test Criteria and additional Nokia Test Criteria, excluding TPO-xx test cases. When the tests are passed, the application will be Symbian Signed. If the application requires DRM and/or TCB capability, a legal agreement must also be in place before the application can be certified.

Learn the details for each step of the process from Symbian Platform Security: Granting Sensitive Capabilities.