29 April 2009
Nokia Drops United States
Operator Billing From Ovi Store Launch
 Nokia said on Tuesday that operator billing would not be available in the United States when its Ovi store opens its doors in May according to the Reuters!
Nokia had earlier said that Ovi store users will initially have an option of paying through their mobile operator's bill in nine countries including the United States but apparently mobile operator's position as default billing and payment provider for Ovi store is a more complex issue in United States than was originally expected!
Purchasers will be able to pay in only eight countries, (Australia, Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Singapore, Spain) through telecoms operator bills for software or media bought from Nokia's Ovi store, which is expected to be opened next month, couple of weeks before availability of Nokia N97, its first supported device!
This isn't such a big deal, since Apple and RIM don't offer direct operator billing as well, but it still bad news, especially considering that Nokia has for a years struggled to increase its share of a transatlantic market dominated by major operators.
eparately, Nokia also said it will cut up to 360 jobs at its Internet services unit as it combines offerings into its new Ovi Store, which will challenge Apple's hugely successful App Store.
Unlike traditional mobile storefronts, the Ovi Store, if enabled by the consumers, will target those consumers with tailored content based on Nokia's unique ability to take advantage of and learn from the consumer's location and social connections. From this point on, the media you consume is no longer just about "what" you're buying, but also now about "where," "when," "why," and "who" bought what.
Consumers will be able to activate social discovery so that content enjoyed by their social network can be automatically surfaced and made available for download and repeat consumption. Content will also be presented based on location so that consumers will always have the most relevant experience wherever they are in the world. Consumers will be able to choose to pay for content with a credit card or through operator billing. By providing a choice of payment options for consumers, content providers and developers will gain access to consumers in markets where credit cards are not widely available
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