ESPOO, Finland – If you’re reading this on your PC, then the concept of having an email address that you create and use on your phone is probably an alien concept. From the first Hotmail accounts to the wickedly popular Gmail we’re all used to getting our mail through Outlook or a web browser. But what of those that don’t own, or even have access to, a PC? Those who are living in developing countries where the means of communication is at best limited.
Alongside the other developing country announcements this morning, Nokia introduced Mail on Ovi. A brand new service that’ll enable users to create and use an email address right on their phone. Like so many of us did years ago with our first Hotmail addresses on PCs. Except this time there’ll be no browsers involved, no PCs and if all goes according to plan, no hassle. Suddenly, a whole new generation of Internet users could be connected.
Mail on Ovi is due to go live on S40 devices later this year, starting with a trial this month in selected markets, before being rolled out on every available S40 device before the end of the year.
It’s well known that a major portion of the global population will first tackle the Internet on their mobile, rather than a PC and with email still hogging such a chunk of the Information Superhighway, it could yet again be the ‘killer app’ in getting people online on their phones. This is a pretty momentous day I reckon. But how many others will see it as such?