Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2009/04/23/widsets_ovi/

Nokia's Ovi absorbs WidSets

Resistance is futile

By Bill Ray

Posted in Networks, 23rd April 2009 11:39 GMT

Nokia's Ovi Store gobbled up the Java-based WidSets platform this morning, as Nokia struggles to build the portal into all things to all men before the start of June.

Nokia is working hard to bring its disparate projects under one roof, and into one brand, with the more-successful projects being last to find themselves integrated into the all-encompassing Ovi. WidSets was created by Nokia Labs and has gained support from a variety of content providers and something of a user following too - despite being appallingly slow to load and often cumbersome to use, it also provides a window on how mobile widgets are supposed to work.

But just like MOSH, Download! and all the other Nokia odds and sods, WidSets will have to find a new home under the Ovi brand.

What the change means is that from June 1st WidSets accounts cease to exist, and users will have to sign up to the Ovi Store to continue using the platform. This means the Ovi store is going to need to be operational by then. Ovi has been signing up content providers since February, but the store itself isn't yet open for business.

Ovi is Nokia's answer to iTunes, with YouTube and MobileMe thrown in, not to mention operator-linked billing and socially-aware recommendations, but getting everything to work will be a tall order. It's a better plan than randomly buying up Web 2.0 companies and creating fun projects with no revenue stream, and it will be interesting to see if Nokia can pull it off. ®