Nokia to change store name

Change, expected to be completed by the end of 2012 will see Ovi become Nokia but manufacturer maintains it is not closing the store completely

Nokia today made the decision to change the branding of its mobile application, music and gaming store from ‘Ovi’ to ‘Nokia’.

The main reason for the change, the company said was to leverage the high value of the “Nokia master brand”.

It said the change in name would also better support future plans to deliver disruptive and compelling mobile experiences globally.

Despite the change in name, Nokia maintained it was not ditching the store idea ahead of its switch to the Windows Phone platform following the agreement it signed with Microsoft earlier this year.

Writing on Nokia website Ovi Blog editor Pino Bonetti, who made the announcement said: “It is important to reiterate that we are changing the name of our services from Ovi to Nokia, not closing them.

“This space will continue to be an important source for news, trends and tips for mobile experiences enjoyed by millions of the Nokia faithful. We will keep you posted as we evolve our presence to fit our new direction.

Bonetti said the consumer transition from Ovi to Nokia would be “smooth and seamless” and was likely to begin in July and would be completed by the end of 2012.

“It is likely that anybody buying a new Nokia device 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 re-branding through future software updates,” Bonetti said.