Telecom Italia falls under Nokia’s Ovi net

Nokia Corp. scored another carrier win for its direct-to-consumer Ovi service.
Telecom Italia said it will offer Nokia handsets featuring Ovi, an umbrella brand comprising mobile music, mapping, gaming and social-networking services. The Nokia N95 8GB and N81 will be the first Ovi-enabled devices sold through the operator, and the two companies said they have “agreed on a sustainable business model” for the service.
“We want to provide TIM mobile customers with the best mobile experience and by working with Nokia, we ensure that our customers have access to the best in Internet services,” said Telecom Italia executive Riccardo Jelmini.
Some successes
Nokia Corp. announced its aggressive on- and off-deck business in August, prompting some onlookers to question whether carriers would tolerate such a tack.
But while the bold direct-to-consumer play has already experienced some speed bumps, influential operators such as Vodafone Group plc and Spain’s Telefonica have agreed to offer the service to their subscribers.