Nokia drops Ovi brand after Windows deal

Nokia announced the firm is dump the Ovi brand of services, instead simply using ‘Nokia’ to "centralise identity under one brand," they said.

Nokia’s Ovi brand, ‘door’ in Finnish’, houses the mobile giant’s range of internet services including as messaging, maps, media, games and music. Nokia said the rebrand will begin in July and extend into 2012.

"We will reinforce the powerful master brand of Nokia and unify our brand architecture while continuing to deliver compelling opportunities and experiences for partners and consumers alike," said Nokia marketing chief Jerri DeVard.

Although Nokia didn’t mention Microsoft, the firm’s deal with the software giant will see Nokia products including Ovi Maps appear on the wider Windows Phone platform.

Therefore it seems likely that rebranding Ovi Maps to Nokia Maps was viewed as being more of a branding opportunity with the reach of the Nokia’s services extending beyond those that already have Nokia handsets.

Nokia said they expected a "smooth and seamless" transition with no planned service disruptions.

This article originally appeared on Develop sister site PCR