Handset giant Nokia plans to provide subscription-based music service, that will be offered under its yet-to-be launched Ovi Store to its users in India this year. Ovi is Nokia's online application portal, where users can download applications like music, gaming, maps and other multimedia services.
Vineet Taneja, country manager (GTM) Nokia said, “Nokia will launch its online music-service priced at few hundred rupees depending on the subscription package, where users can access the paid music content for up to a year.”
While Taneja did not quote the exact service pricing, he did indicate that the music service would be cheap so as to become Nokia’s mass-market service offering while gaming applications will be available at a premium pricing.
Nokia at the 2009 Mobile World Congress in Bacelona announced that Ovi, its online mobile solutions portal, will be accessible to about 50 million people immediately upon its launch in May.
A Nokia email service, will also be provided to users for free. “But if users want integrated messaging solutions and other communication software built along with email then we will have a Nokia email exchange that will be cheaper than the similar existing services,” he said, adding “Nokia intends to take the email solutions to non-metros, and hence pricing will be very important to promote this service.”
Ovi will be available for download to most Nokia’s S40 and S60 devices and Taneja added that it won’t be restricted to GPRS enabled phones. “We realise that GPRS-enabled phones could be a hindrance hence customers can avail to Nokia Ovi services by walking into the priority showrooms or service centres.”
Customers can browse for various online services and then pay at the retail outlet for downloading them. While Apple's App Store works only with the iPhone and iPod Touch, the Nokia Ovi Store will be able to leverage the installed base of countless models of Symbian S60 handsets, along with Nokia’s regular feature phones.
The mobile phone manufacturer, which commands a whopping 70 per cent market share in India is also eager to take its services across its device range.
“Our services won’t be limited to high end, expensive devices. We will also look to broaden the range to fit all sizes and pockets," said Taneja.
The company is launching a mass-market phone, complete with a MP3 player that will complement its future music services. Nokia’s online services store Ovi, which is to be launched in India in the first half of 2009, will be focused on five key services namely music, messaging, games, social location and general media.
The Finnish company has already has lined up application developers like Facebook, MySpace and Friendster, Fox Mobile Group, game publisher Electronic Arts and Lonely Planet, a provider of travel guides.
Microsoft too has unveiled plans for an application store, called Windows Marketplace. It follows the last week's announcement that the computer giant was to open a series of branded retail stores, in order to win back some of the ground lost to Apple. Microsoft said the ‘purpose of opening these stores is to create deeper engagement with consumers and continue to learn firsthand about what they want and how they buy'.
