Nokia promises users music they can keep

Finnish vendor Nokia announced an extension of its mobile music platform on Tuesday, with the unveiling of a subscription service that allows users to keep their music.

At its annual investor day in the Netherlands, Nokia announced its ‘Comes With Music’ platform, that enables people to buy a Nokia device with a year of unlimited access to millions of tracks.

Once the year is complete, customers can keep all their music without having to worry about it disappearing when their subscription is over.

This move flies in the face of previous business models used by both Nokia’s own UK-based Music Store and that of rivals such as Omnifone’s MusicStation platform – which stop users listening to music once their subscription has been terminated.

The Comes With Music platform will launch with content from Universal Music Group International and Nokia said it is in discussion with the remaining major international labels. However the company has not yet specified which devices the service will be available on [although the marketing material features the N81] and what the actual pricing model will be.

Nokia’s existing Music Store prices individual tracks at 80p each, with albums starting at £8.00. The store also offers a monthly subscription for PC streaming for £8.00.

“We set out to create the music experience that people are telling us they are looking for – all the music they want in the form of unlimited downloads to their mobile device and PC,” said Anssi Vanjoki, executive vice president and general manager of Multimedia at Nokia.

Jupiter Research analyst, Michael Gartenberg, said: “This is a game changer in terms of policy it raises some interesting questions as well. How much is Nokia paying for this type of license structure? Will consumers sign up after the first year is over? What’s the costs associated with the device and what other features and functions will it have. In the long run, it’s going to take more than free to change the game and differentiate and that includes things like cool devices and the means to discover and enjoy new music in that catalog of millions of songs.”

Meanwhile, the Finnish vendor also announced plans to acquire remote access platform Avvenu for an undisclosed sum.

Avvenu provides internet services that allow customers to use their mobile devices to securely access, use and share personal files on their computer, even if the host computer is turned off.

Nokia said that by acquiring Avvenu, the Finnish firm plans to deliver a secure file access and share service to mobile workers.

With smartphone adoption growing faster than previously estimated and smartphone owners using mobile devices to view, process, and edit content, Nokia believes that easy access to existing PC content will fuel mobile computing adoption.

“This acquisition is another step toward delivering on Nokia’s business mobility strategy,” said Mary McDowell, executive vice president and general manager of Enterprise Solutions at Nokia. “Avvenu’s ‘digital locker’ file access and sharing technology allows users to search, access and share PC files remotely, using  their mobile or other connected devices, even when their PC is turned off or not connected to the internet. With the integration of Avvenu’s technology, Nokia will further extend its business mobility solutions beyond email to add collaboration tools that enable greater everyday productivity through access to a user’s own content anytime, anywhere, from any connected device.”