Nokia Ovi Shows Some Serious Potential / Posted by Ari 08.08.2009 07:11

Nokia Ovi, a suite of online services for mobile phones and PCs, is a strategic bet for the company's future. While Ovi is critically important for Nokia's top management, the service still has to prove its importance to Nokia customers. The Files service, however, shows potential beyond currently available backup and remote access features.

Today, Ovi consists of nine services: Calendar, Contacts, Files, Games, Mail & Messaging, Maps with navigation, Music Store, Share (photos & videos), and Store. Most services are free, or you have to pay a fee for advanced features or for additional storage space.

I have been using Ovi Files service for about two weeks when writing this. I have found the service invaluable. In addition, I believe the service has more potential than its current functionality shows.

Files provides two valuable services. First, it can automatically back up files and folders to a server computer on the Internet (or to the cloud as some people like to call it) from your PC or Mac. Second, you can access those files and folders from any PC or mobile phone using any Internet browser application.

I regularly use two laptop PCs and a number of mobile phones during my daily work. After I had set Ovi Files to automatically back up folders from both computers I use for work, I haven’t missed a document. The Files service treats all files equally. Documents can be text, music, photos, or other types of files.

The documents that have been defined for automatic backup in Files are available even when the PC where the original documents are stored is switched off, or is offline. Whenever the originating PC is online, it is possible to remotely access all files on that PC.

Security experts and hackers may explore how secure the system is. I can tell that the connection to the servers from the browser application (both from the PC and from a mobile phone) is using secure SSL connection. Authentication is based on Ovi account user name and password.

Ovi Files is available for free (you get 10GB of storage space for free) or you can subscribe to a premium service for additional storage space.

In addition to the valuable backup and remote access services, what is the great potential for the Files service?

Nokia could develop Files as a technology that contributes to other Ovi services. For instance, new pictures and videos copied from a camera to a PC could automatically be posted on the user's Ovi Share photo album. Music tracks downloaded from the Music Store could automatically be made available via the user's Files storage area. Ringtones purchased from the Ovi Store could automatically be backed up to a folder on the Files service.

Gradually, users could regard their personal Ovi Files document storage area as the place where all their important digital items could always be easily found.


Already today, families and professionals who already have multiple PCs, netbooks, Internet tablets, and smartphones have problems, or don't realize they will have problems with backup and file access. Once they try a service like Files, they'll appreciate the convenience of an online service.


Ovi is not Nokia's first attempt to make money on online services. In theory, the company has over 10 years of experience in online business, but in practice, the organization can remember little or nothing from the past experiences. I talked about Ovi strategy at the MobileMonday Helsinki event on June 8th, 2009. You can find the Nokia Ovi slides presented at the MobileMonday event here.

robert 24.10.2009 10:18

yes, OVI Files ACCESS invaluable as stated, certainly from my point of view, as I have a business and travel regularly, so it is vital to have access to certain business documents. I have a Nokia E71, using standard installed browser, I can access files without issue, I also have Opera mini latest version download, but, interestingly enough, I have not been able to access files using this browser, have checked all related settings, not sure what the problem is.