Nokia announces operator billing for apps

Nokia announces operator billing for apps purchased from Ovi Store
• Operator billing now available for Vodafone and 2degrees customers at Ovi Store
• Two out of three people prefer to purchase apps via their phone bill over credit card
Nokia dedicated to increasing revenue streams for local app developers

Auckland, New Zealand – 13 May 2011. Nokia today announces operator billing for its Ovi Store – www.store.ovi.com - with Vodafone and 2degrees in New Zealand.

Operator billing uses the SIM card for identification, and any purchases are charged to the monthly phone bill or subtracted from a pre-paid account. Up until this point consumers used credit cards to pay for mobile apps.

“Our research tells us that two out of three people prefer to purchase apps via their phone bill, over credit card,” said Steve Lewis, Nokia New Zealand’s head of sales.

“By offering alternative, easy-to-use payment options, we aim to make the Ovi Store and its content as accessible to as many people as possible on the Vodafone and 2degrees networks,” he added.

In other countries, Ovi Store has seen operator billing increase consumer transactions by up to four times. This, coupled with Ovi Store’s global reach and Nokia’s new monetisation opportunities¹ for developers, means more revenue scope for local app developers on Symbian.

Nokia’s Ovi Store has grown by nearly eight times over the last year reaching up to 5 million downloads per day. This has been driven by the latest Symbian devices including the Nokia N8, Nokia C6-01, Nokia C7 and Nokia E7.

Currently, some of the most popular apps downloaded from the New Zealand Ovi Store are:

Grabaseat
Facebook Chat
AngryBirds
Fruit Ninja
eBuddy
Skype
Snaptu

ENDS

To increase revenue streams for developers, Nokia recently launched in-app purchasing and advertising on apps downloaded from its Ovi Store. These monetisation opportunities will now be integrated with operator billing in New Zealand to further enhance Nokia’s developer offering.

About Nokia
Nokia is committed to connecting people to what matters to them by combining advanced mobile technology with personalised services. More than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia, from our most affordable voice-optimised mobile phones to advanced Internet-connected smartphones sold in virtually every market in the world Through Ovi (www.ovi.com), people also enjoy access to maps and navigation on mobile, a rapidly expanding applications store, a growing catalogue of digital music, free email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, and Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the leading providers of telecommunications infrastructure hardware, software and professional services globally.

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