17 December 2008

OVI by Nokia
Behind Closed Doors?!

We all are now well aware of Ovi being a name that is an umbrella for Nokia services; games, maps, music, share, files, sync.

What many are unaware that Ovi serves more than just a portal for Nokia branded services. Nokia has decided to take the high route and bypass arrogant, money grubbing carries.

Ovi plays a major "key" role in opening the "doors" from the standard walled garden carrier hold on the market.

In the past, there was a service in Europe called Club Nokia, which feed information to the end consumer’s mobile devices.

The end result was disastrous for Nokia, the carries decided to choke it, by blocking specific ports. Time and time again Nokia has been blocked & chocked by carriers and politics in their choice of providing their own services to consumers. Some may say that is a good thing because they don't want a monopoly effect by Nokia, but truth be it, they take your money for what is already offered free, besides Nokia presents the best on hands on solutions, while still leaving it open for 3rd party solutions.

Since Ovi first launch, I saw directly its potential and their wall garden solution. It’s a way of taking the back door route. By offering solutions not associated with carries, also by creating a demand in the market by providing and all-in-one mobile web integrated solution. Similar goes for mobile voip, at the moment the momentum has been held back, till a more robust carrier free data service is widely available.

It also proposes to be widely adapted by non-Nokia devices, where Nokia dominates at least 40% of the market, there is more room for others to join.

1.) All well in done in theory, but has been well over a year, and yes I see a big push in 2009, it is lacking many incentives and movement plus adoption and no presence. We have learned Nokia is keen on their word-of-mouth approach, their quite marketing, relying on bloggers, and let the best product speak for it self (which I used to believe till the iPhone effect)

2. Ovi is POORLY adopted and supported on the End-Device. Examples: Our devices have a built in contact system compromised to read n write more than just phone numbers. It enables the ability for multiple email, multiple phone number (mobile/landlines), address, nickname, picture....You get the picture + Edit our own label (which is not widely supported by syncing). Phone Number & Email is the most widely accessed info in an account, but email didn't happen over night nor will wide spread of ovi contacts, but it requires an easy to adopt start.

So what has Nokia done to support our newly acquired Nokia account dubbed Ovi account????? With growing use of ovi service they never taught of supporting their devices for a preset Contact detail, where it’s transferable over ovi sync??? Or the possibility of up and coming Nokia apps can pull your ovi contacts into its app system???

Nokia decided to revamp their icons and focus on Ovi branded icons with a universal view. Giving presence and a unilateral iconic distinction to their meaning which service it represents. Well if you remember this article, they stressed on making things internally in Nokia stick to structure and consistency. Well I haven’t seen any of it. Nokia 5800, was well placed, all Ovi iconic symbols were there, correlating with its service, and a well job at it (about time).

There is the Nokia 6269 coming soon for S40, boasting how it will be well integrated with Ovi service, and the recent announcement of the N97. Well that’s all fine and dandy, for tomorrow, what about today? Nokia sells an easy million devices a day, S60 3rd edition devices about the last 2 n'1/2 years. So they just decided to leave all that presence in the dark? Are they stupid? ( No, really it’s a serious question). Did they not think if a million devices sold today, with ovi presence embedded wouldn't at least 30% of the buyers look into it?

Did they just decide to start off with S60 5th Edition & S40 6th Edition?

I would propose to Nokia what they should have done along time ago, Firmware Update! Its simple give everybody their deserved firmware update, yes it will cost them money and time, but did they ever stop and think for a moment. For example a firmware update would consist of the needed update, BUT now they can place their Ovi Icons and seamless service integration onto the handsets. They don't think with over 200 million S60 devices sold can impact their Ovi service if played right? Those older devices and their users will have presence and access to a new concept of service that it will immediately play in their favour? Make it happen today! Don't kill the momentum.

NOTE: I didn’t write this as a response to Nokia World 2008, nor the 5800, nor the recent firmware update to the N95-1. Just something I wrote up before, but never actually completed till now.

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