Ovi (Nokia)

The Nokia Store (previously Ovi Store ) is a distribution platform, founded in May 2009, the Finnish company Nokia for content (apps and media) for their mobile devices, especially smartphones. Contents are available for the operating systems Symbian, Maemo and Meego used by Nokia in it. In May 2011, Nokia announced a renaming of all Ovi services. In the future, all business services "Nokia" will bear the name. In October 2013 it was announced that from 1 January 2014 no new apps and updates for Symbian and MeeGo more can be submitted, existing apps will remain.

Concept

In Ovi Store apps, games, videos, audio files, images, themes and ringtones are available free or at cost.

The Nokia Store can be accessed through the web browser or via a specially provided for this purpose app, the Nokia Store client, which is standard on all newer Nokia's mobile devices. Downloading content only works on the mobile phone. For premium content you need to register a Nokia account.

The Nokia Store is a closed system to prevent the customer from erroneous or malicious software. Contents need to be explicitly released by Nokia.

Unlike other providers are in the Nokia Store, not all of the available for the Symbian ecosystem content available. One part is still driven classic about the websites of the manufacturers. Acquired contents remain permanently stored on the server and can be downloaded any number of times.

In May 2011, Nokia introduced the " store-in -store " concept for mobile service providers. This mobile service provider to get its own channel, where they can offer their own services and applications.

600 to 700 employees work for the store.

Functions

All content can be rated and commented on, and are recommended as a link by sending a free SMS to friends or sent to the own cell phone.

With version 2.8 in May 2011, an update function for apps has been introduced. Customers can see updates are available for what programs you have installed them, and install them individually or all. Initially, this function is only available for Symbian 3 available, but to follow even for older Symbian devices.

In future, all content can also be transferred via Bluetooth and NFC device to device.

Payment

About half of the apps are free. Paid content you can pay your phone bill or credit card (not in countries such as China). When paying by credit card are available: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, and JCB. The purchase of the phone bill only works over a mobile connection, not via Wi-Fi or the like.

The price can be chosen freely by the creator. Depending on the payment method chosen by the customer, the creator receives 60 or 70% of the sales price. If paid by credit card, the creator gets 70 %, is by cell phone bill paid 60%.

Growth

The store is 190 countries in 32 localized language versions. Worldwide there are 100 million registered users. When you pay your phone bill Nokia is a market leader with the connection of 150 mobile operators in 50 countries. According to information of the Nokia Store has more than 140,000 apps in March 2012. In July 2011, there were 50,000 apps. Every week we add 1,000 apps. There are approximately 250,000 new registrations daily. In October 2011, 10 million downloads have been reached on the day, of which 30 % of Series 40 devices.

Development

Games and applications must be created with the offer of Nokia SDK for Symbian or Meego. For the development of Apps Nokia recommends the cross-platform Qt class library.