Read on

 

Browsing the files on my PC from my phone.

Files on Ovi acts as a bridge allowing you to access files on your own PC from any remote device. Access is through the Files on Ovi website which displays a file and folder structure similar to Windows Explorer (see screenshots below). You can preview certain file types before downloading them (Word, Excel, PDF, images). You can also upload files from the remote device to your PC (e.g. upload a document from your phone which means it will be sitting in your My Documents folder when you return to your PC).

 

Image listings and a preview of an Excel spreadsheet.

A key feature of Files on Ovi is the ability to access files even if the host PC is switched off. In order to do this files or folders must be marked as 'anytime files' (you do this on the website), the connector software will then upload these files from the host PC to be stored in the cloud (Files on Ovi server). As you add, update or remove files on the host PC they will be automatically synced up to the cloud. Each Files on Ovi subscription comes with 10GB of storage.

Anytime files can thus be accessed even if the your PC is switched off. If you upload files from a remote device when your PC is switched off they will be downloaded to the host PC the next time it is switched on.

The ability to share files and folder with others is another important feature. You can opt to share a file or folder for a given length of time by sending a sharing message, by email, to anyone you like. You can, optionally, revoke sharing privileges at any time.

On a mobile device most operations take place on the page for each file / folder:

Note the links at the bottom for sending (to others), downloading and adding to anytime files. You can also see how the image has been resized (previewed) to give the optimium display on the mobile device.

Files on Ovi is the first Ovi service to use the new unified Nokia / Ovi login (account.nokia.com). It may be worth signing up for an account now to ensure you get the username you want.

Files on Ovi is currently in Beta. In the future the anytime files function will be a premium service for which you will have to pay a fee. Using the service using only the connector shoudl remina free (if the Avvenu model continues to apply). However the anytime file functionality is where the most value is; for the time being you can sign up and receive a 90 day trial.

 

You can download files (or folders) from Files on Ovi or Upload files from your phone to your PC. If you
upload a file from another device it will automatically be downloaded to local storage on the host PC.

 

You can search for files on your PC (if you have Google Desktop Search installed).

You can also access Files on Ovi from a PC browser. This more cloesly replicates the experience of using a file manager on a PC.

Viewing the contents of a folder full of pictures.

Showing a preview of an image.

Previewing an Excel Spredsheet

The connector software runs silently in the background.
Here it shows the anytime files that have been updated.

Although branded under to Ovi name Files on Ovi, like Share on Ovi, can be used on a wide variety of devices. There's currently no on-board client software for viewing and downloading files - all you need is access to a web browser - as such it should run on most recent phones.

Currently the PC component (the connector software) in Windows only, but Nokia intend to extend this to other platforms in the future.

Thanks to Taskussa (a Finnish blog) for informing us of the availability of Files on Ovi.

Read on

The Telenor follows on from similar announcements from Vodafone, Telefonica, TIM, Orange and T-Mobile. It is interesting to see that 10 months on from the birth of Ovi that initial operator resistance to Ovi has largely crumbled away, much as we expected. Nokia is placing itself in a very strong position to deliver its Ovi service platform to a larger number of users. Its agreement with operators should give it a significant strategic advantage over it rivals.

Here's an extract from the press release:

From the Beta Labs blog:

Over the next few weeks Nokia Maps team will conduct a piece of research for the Drive car navigation feature within Nokia Maps 2.0. We’re looking for a range of users, from novice to experienced, who are based in London, Berlin or Madrid and have been using Drive within Maps 2.0 actively. Hands-on experience with other car navigation products is a big plus too.

If you are using the Drive feature actively, and are based in London, Berlin or Madrid, and happen to have some free time in your city during weeks commencing with July 21st and July 28th, this is an opportunity for you to influence the development of the car navigation feature for the next software release.

Nokia carries out a lot of user research when preparing or road mapping its product, but it is good to see an opportunity for people to volunteer. Hopefully this will allow the self-selection of the people most passionate about the future of the product.

There's already some insightful content on the site, the first topic is a look at how the mobile industry is set to take advantage of nanoscience. There also a blog from Nokia's current CTO Bob Iannucci.

You can read more information about plans for the site here, a short extract is below:

Since Nokia embraced the Open Innovation research model two years ago, the collective work of OCTO extends far out into a global network of researchers and thought leaders at universities, think tanks, and the broader industry. OCTO’s eight hundred or so employees are its heart, but this broader community is becoming ever more critical to its success. Sharing OCTO’s vision for the future of mobility with the worldwide community, sparking an active dialogue, and fostering feedback channels are all necessary for bringing OCTO’s ideas to ever-higher thresholds.

The initial set of content revolves around blogs from Bob Iannucci, internal staff, and eventually external partners. There is also information on upcoming speaking events where OCTO and NRC staff will be presenting, and a stream of news stories that impact Nokia and the mobility industry as a whole.

In the upcoming months further content, features and new communications capabilities will be added to the site, evolving it into a full bilateral communications portal going forward.

It is great to see Nokia continuing to role out these types of initiatives. Interacting with the community through sites like CTO.nokia.com, Nokia Conversations, Forum Nokia Blogs, Nokia Beta Labs and the S60 Blogs not only sends a general positive message, but also opens up opportunities for discussion which will be to the benefit of all.

With all these avenues opening up it would be good to see a central gateway and, ideally, aggregator, leading to all these resources. Blogs.Nokia.com or Connecting.Nokia.com perhaps? A single point of entry would make it easier for interested parties to find and follow these resources. And why not expand this list at the same time?

Here's a screenshot overview of the site:

Nokia has said that Navteq will operate independently as a separate unit within Nokia in order that 'current and future customers continue to have a dedicated and strengthened unit serving them' (in other words being able to serve other customers who may be competitors of Nokia).

Nokia believes that location will be a corner stone of future mobile and Internet services. Navteq, or mores specifically its GIS data (maps plus geo-meta-data) represent a core building block in this future and having direct control puts Nokia in a very strong position to fully exploit the potential.

One area that is drawing particular attention is location aware advertising on mobile devices. The idea being that if first generation context senstive ads have worked well (e.g. Google AdWords / AdSense) then second generation context sensitive ads (that can call upon location context) will work even better.

Clearly the Navteq acqusition can be seen, at least in part, as a competitive response to Google with its Maps and Advertising products.

Nokia is paying a lot of money for Navteq (which had revenues of $581 million in 2006). However in the years to come I suspect we'll look back with hindsight and think this was an attractive price and a shrewd move on Nokia's part.

From the press release:

Thanks to IntoMobile for the heads up.

In this podcast we cover:

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