Nokia internet services gets another rocket strapped to its back

ESPOO, Finland – It’s no secret that Nokia is swiftly evolving its internet and location based services, built on the original vision set out by CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo back in May of last year. So today sees Nokia stoke that engine for an extra performance boost with news that it’s acquiring Bit-side GmbH, a cutting-edge mobile software and services outfit that promises to help propel Nokia’s context-aware services, including Nokia Maps, to the next level. And fast.

GLOBAL – It’s been a milestone year in Nokia’s evolution with CEO and President, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, announcing a fresh direction for Nokia that has already seen it beginning to move from being a handset company to an Internet services company.

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S60 application storm forecasted for summer 2009

GLOBAL – Crack out the umbrella, we’re soon going to be caught in a torrential shower of fresh-faced S60 applications eager to be soaked up. This is as a result of QT Software (formely Trolltech, bought by Nokia back in June) porting its QT cross-platform application framework to S60, which in real-world speak means it’s now going to be dead easy for developers to port existing applications available on other devices and platforms to S60 Nokia devices with little fuss, fast.

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Invisible handsets. Invisible services. Indispensable tools.

INTERNATIONAL – With location-based services (LBS) stealing so many online column inches recently, one aspect that I think has dodged discussion is the hardware – most of the limelight has been shone on the warranted significance of Nokia’s recent acquisitions of NAVTEQ, Trolltech and Plazes, alongside the tangible releases of pioneering new LBS apps such as Nokia Chat .

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Next piece of context-aware puzzle slots in place

ESPOO, Finland – Having barely had time to draw breath from the completion of the NAVTEQ and Trolltech deals, Nokia has brought another significant Internet services company under its wing. This week Nokia completed the acquisition of a small cutting-edge online outfit called Plazes, a bite-size company that offers a funky mash-up of a mobile social networking blended with context-aware location-based info and interaction.

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Nokia merges multiple personalities

INTERNATIONAL – No, this isn’t quack psychology, but rather news of Nokia’s new roll-out of a universal login across its multiple Internet services. Simply called Nokia Account, this is one of those subtle changes that will evolve and expand over time, stretching from the likes of Ovi to N-Gage and beyond, but more significant is what it means for us as users and looking forwards.

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Nokia’s software springboard in place

ESPOO, Finland – Way back in January news emerged of Nokia’s plan to buy Trolltech. In mainstream terms it’s a little known organization, but despite the lack of glitz this is a smart outfit equipped with world class cross-platform development software and tools. So today’s news that the acquisition has been unconditionally approved by the European Commission marks an important milestone on Nokia’s journey towards enabling everyone to access the software and services they want on multiple platforms and devices, a vision championed in the recent evolution of Ovi.