Nokia snares first Ovi customer

Nokia Corp. snared the first carrier customer for its broad multimedia business, inking a deal with Spain’s Telefonica.
The world’s largest handset manufacturer said it will help build a customized user interface for Telefonica users, allowing them access to the carrier’s services and to Nokia’s mobile Internet offerings. The companies will work together to bill subscribers.
“We’re extremely excited about this collaboration as I believe it can pave the way for a new way of working throughout our industry,” said Anssi Vanjoki, general manager of Nokia’s multimedia business. “Ease of use has always been at (the) heart of Nokia devices, and this collaboration is an important step in creating the same experience for Internet services.”
The pact is especially good news for Nokia, which is seeking to target mobile users directly with a host of services under the Ovi brand. Analysts have speculated that the effort is likely to anger some carriers looking to deploy multimedia offerings under their own brand.