Nokia launches mobile content distribution platform — MobileMonday Global: Industry News

^{Preminet is operator-brandable} Nokia launches mobile content distribution platform

25 Oct 2004 at 18:38 GMT Timo Poropudas

Created to satisfy the needs of the entire mobile software value chain, Preminet sources Java and Symbian OS software from leading developers and content aggregators around the globe to give operators a master catalog of applications, games and other mobile content.

Preminet also offers operators a complete solution for delivery, billing and revenue distribution, providing an end-to-end, operator-brandable platform for launching new applications and services to consumers.

Consisting of a master catalog, a service delivery platform and an optional client application, Preminet provides a turnkey solution that initially is available as a hosted offering by Nokia.

Preminet is designed to integrate easily into existing systems, including content delivery gateways, authentication systems and billing platforms.

To maximize consumer uptake of games, applications and other content, the flexible, operator-brandable client application works side-by-side with an operator's other discovery methods (WAP, SMS and Web) to let end users find, sample, download and securely pay for mobile software.

"Until now, each operator has been responsible for maintaining hundreds of relationships with individual Java and Symbian OS developers and sourcing, and testing each application before bringing them to the end-user," said Lee Epting, vice president, Forum Nokia.

"With Preminet, we now provide a single source for operators to acquire a comprehensive range of industry certified content, applications and services, and a complete platform for managing distribution to their customers. Operators now have the ability to launch a differentiated service offering in a very simple manner without major investment."

Preminet helps content aggregators and developers quickly and easily make more money from their Java and Symbian OS software by providing a single channel to access the wireless industry's largest addressable market. Java is the leading platform for mobile software worldwide, with over 350 million Java technology-enabled handsets in the marketplace as of June 2004, while Symbian OS is the most popular smartphone operating system in the world, running over two-thirds of the world's smartphones.

Analyst firm Ovum further expects that within three years, annual shipments of Symbian OS smartphones will top 100 million per year, while the total number of Java-enabled phones in the market will be over 1.5 billion. Preminet is also air interface agnostic and works across GSM, CDMA and other types of cellular networks.