From OVi To Nokia :The Evolution

I have just received a Press release from Nokia's PR Handlers and found it interesting. However my immediate query is  what happens to our Nokia Ovi stores Icons on the phones?How Nokia will sort that out is the enigma of sorts, although i can see it partly addressed in the press release which i wont preempt. I believe the decisions we have seen from the Company's head office of late are dumbfounding at the list bit..... however, here goes the Press Release:

The evolution of Nokia and Ovi

Espoo, Finland, May 17^th 2011– Starting with first services on some of the new Nokia devices in July and August, Ovi services will be rebranded as Nokia services in a transition expected to continue into 2012. Each of the services under the Ovi umbrella will simply be rebranded as Nokia, with no planned disruption to the service roadmaps. 

Nokia’s EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Jerri DeVard explains the shift: 

“We have made the decision to change our service branding from Ovi to Nokia. By centralizing our services identity under one brand, not two, we will reinforce the powerful master brand of Nokia and unify our brand architecture – while continuing to deliver compelling opportunities and experiences for partners and consumers alike.”

The transition from Ovi to Nokia will begin in July this year, with the intention of it being completed across all countries and all services by the end of 2012. It’s likely that anybody buying a new Nokia smartphone or mobile phone later this year will start to see the new branding on services included within. However anybody already owning a Nokia phone will see this new rebranding through future software updates. 

Jerri continues: 

“The reasons for this decision includes the fact that Nokia is a well-known and highly-loved brand the world over. Our mobile experiences are tightly integrated with our devices – there is no longer a differentiation. For example, if consumers want the best mobile navigation experience, they know it’s a Nokia that they can rely on. These last few years, and moving forward, our mission remains unchanged: we will continue our work to deliver compelling, unified mobile service offerings and next-generation, disruptive technologies.”

This is solely a name-changing exercise and the service roadmaps will continue exactly as planned. The only difference consumers can expect to see is the replacement of the word Ovi with Nokia, not only on their device software but also in other places such as printed material or online media and advertisements. The transition should be a smooth and seamless one.

Nokia E7-Redifining Success With Some Fun !

Nairobi, Kenya, May 5^th 2011: Nothing beats the chirp of conversations from a battery of bloggers and journalists huddled in a room. Speaking of latest trends on issues ranging from traffic jam to emerging technology developments, it’s always tempting to listen in among groups, for fear of missing out on details of what’s the hottest tech thing in the market. 

So when Dorothy Ooko, Nokia’s Head of Communications for East and Southern Africa, called the Ovi Happy Hour gathering at Sierra to order, it seemed like many were cut short. But they didn’t know that what lay in store was bound to lighten the chilly evening-significantly.

The night for the Ovi Happy Hour was aptly themed “Success Redefined” the tag-line associated with Nokia’s latest business smart phone, the E7. Seeing the E7 though the eyes of those who have already used it was an experience in itself. Hailed as the all-in-one business smartphone, the Nokia E7 is the new-age Communicator. Boasting a Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support alongside 4-inch AMOLED touchscreen display and a slide out four-row QWERTY keyboard, the E7 hit the Kenyan market during the last week of April.

First off was Tim Njiru, making an interesting pitch of the Nokia E7’s 8-megapixel camera. Tim wowed the crowd with clear, if cheeky photos he’d a couple of kids “in my rounds.” And he’d more serious photos, this time from a South Africa Airways plane before take-off. Here he had exploited the full-screen 16:9 viewfinder with its easy-to-use touch screen parameters pretty well.

Clearly in love with the apps and the Nokia maps, Tim did not hide his inclination for WhatsApp, cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS and a messenger too. Next was Gravity, a full-featured Twitter Client with a gorgeous, highly praised user interface. Tim made good of his five-minute pitch to talk about how Gravity supports multiple Twitter accounts, image-uploading TwitPic and TwitGoo, multiple Twitter-searches.

Running short of time, Tim spoke of the Nokia Maps, explaining how useful the maps can get especially to strangers in new places. And in keeping with the week’s happenings, Tim even had a screen-grab he took the previous evening from the cable-news channel CNN as Michael Holmes captured events leading to the Royal Wedding. What a close to make.  

Moses Kemibaro, a renowned IT consultant and blogger took to the floor next and called the E7 “a fantastic work-horse phone for business people.” Picking out the phones capabilities-to integrate office with social media tools, Kemibaro said the fact that the phone had a combination of touch-screen and QWERTY keyboard made it a cool thing to have for everyone.

Not to be outdone, Dorothy Ooko stepped forward and spoke of the of Nokia’s keenness in making user-friendly devices. Dorothy was fast to speak of her affinity to the N8 but she added that the E7 had that added advantage of the flip which would help enhance ease of use especially for business people.

Kenneth Oyolla Nokia GM for East and Southern Africa speaking of his Nokia E7 experience

Perhaps presenting one of most core benefits of the E7 on this afternoon, Dorothy demonstrated to an eager crowd in the room, how easy it is to draft and edit documents from the E7 even sending a dud document to her boss from the phone. She went further to show how to use the Microsoft Communicator on the phone. Gripping stuff.

In the process of updating the crowd on whether he’d ‘received’ the demo document from Dorothy a few minute before, Ken Oyolla, Nokia’s General Manager for East and Southern Africa got into the team of presenters on the evening. But he spoke of the E7’s entertainment front, a relevant element for any business person who travels often. So Ken took time to speak of travel apps such as the World Traveler, which he said was “a must have free and premium services for travelers.”

Kenneth Oyolla Nokia GM for East and Southern Africa demonstrating how an E7 streams TV

“The app has an amazing in-built virtual ‘flight assistant’, which many will find handy for searching flight schedules of major and low cost airlines as well as real-time alerts regarding delays, cancellations and gate changes,” said Oyolla.

He captured the need of the app well, especially for travellers who inevitably get confused about the time difference while abroad. Ken spoke of how useful World Traveller is on info regarding weather, currencies.

It’s unbelievable that such qualities would be wrapped in a single device, the Nokia E7. Listening all round, it appeared there are a few other things would so suitably redefine success. No wonder, then, that everyone wanted to stick around for a word or two with the Nokia team, or have a beer to go with the fun at the event.

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead -Kenyans Celebrate!

Kenyans have awoken this morning (coincidentally on a public holiday) to the News that Osama Bin Ladden is Dead the Mastermind behind the August 7th 1998 ,Nairobi USA Embassy bombings that left over 200 Kenyans dead and scores injured and maimed(see embedded YouTube Video of President Barrack Obama's announcement of Bin Ladens Death)! The Terror kingpin was killed in a well coordinated move carried out allegedly by American Navy seals that resulted in a firefight and the death of Osama Bin Laden's son.

That essentially is good news and there is a sense of jubilation and  retribution duly seved especially on Social Media as many bloggers and tweeps tweeting in their approval of his demise.Where was Osama Killed at? Interestingly Osama Bin Laden was killed not in Tora Borra Mountains in Afghanistan but in Abbotabad a cosy up market  mansion/house near the Pakistani Capital Islamabad .Ironically those who do bad live in luxury while their foot soldiers brave horrid conditions with untold zeal and fevour.

Interestingly it has taken Obama(whose father was a native Kenyan) to nail Osama ! The Kenyan Television stations are now running Al Jazeera and CNN live feeds in recognition that this event has much significance to the Kenyan people who have been on the receiving end of several Al Qaeda cordinated terrorist attacks including the initial 1998 US Embassy bombings in Nairobi.

On an international note many pundits will be evaluating this developments and its significance in American Politics and President Barrack Obama's re-election bid.At the same time Osama's death obviously will not have the cure it effect of Al Qaeda induced terrorism but it is a significant step in stemming like minded individuals .

A Pakistani techie Sohaib Athar who tweets @ReallyVirtual managed to live tweet the event as the American Helicopters hovered above his residence in Abbotabad unbeknown to him at the time that Osama bin Laden was the target of the noise.You may just find his timeline pretty interesting.