Tech Shout!

Today, Nokia announced that it is expanding its focus from mobile devices to offering a range of Internet services. The company’s new Internet service brand name is ‘Ovi’, which means ‘door’ in Finnish.

According to Nokia, Ovi will enable consumers to easily access their existing social networks, communities and content. It will also act as a gateway to Nokia’s Internet services, allowing users to access music, games and maps all under one roof.

The first Internet services unveiled under Ovi by Nokia are the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage, which will enable people to discover, try and buy music and games from a huge range of artists and publishers.

Also, available through Nokia’s Ovi is Nokia Maps, which is a navigation service that offers maps, city guides for mobile devices.

Nokia President and Chief Executive Officer Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said, “”We started this journey with our navigation services earlier this year and we are now combining all our services into a single branded offering - Ovi by Nokia. Over the coming 12 months, you will see us integrate new user interface elements, service suites and web communities to Ovi,” added Kallasvuo.

The first version of Nokia’s Ovi is set to go live in English during Q4 2007 with additional features and languages added in the first half of 2008.