Finally! Nokia releases Sync for Ovi

The long-awaited sync for Ovi.com has been released. The OviSync online service provides a much-needed synchronization of contacts, notes, and todo lists with your mobile phone and an online website. This is in addition to the existing games, photos, video, and file services available through the ovi.com site.

This is a fantastic offering for Nokia phone users and represents the first real and direct competitor to Apple's MobileMe service. I have given it a brief run through and although it is labelled as beta (if you aren't Google, I assume that when you say beta, you mean beta) and it works as promised. I signed into the site with my Ovi username and password, the same used by files and chat, and had the service send me the configuration in a text message. I opened this message, it make the necessary adjustments, and I went to my sync profile (see screenshot) and synchronized without error. Even the images I had added to a few of my contacts were synchronized up to ovi.com and immediately viewable on the website. This makes a great way to organize contacts or enter a large number of todo items with a full keyboard or when you are away from your phone.

The real gem of this service, however, ought to be its ability to be used without a Nokia phone. My real hope for Ovi is that it is available -with at least some modicum of functionality- on pretty much any phone. As the OviSync service uses the standardized SyncML -available on most phones and other mobile devices- for synchronization, it should work on any device supporting that standard. I have written about this before, but it bears repeating: Nokia should use such a service, providing and promoting it to all phone users to demonstrate what can be done on a mobile phone. Most people do not realize the potential of the mobile handsets in their pockets or purses and for a company like Nokia, designing, developing, and marketing some of the most advanced handsets on the planet, this is a real problem. Until people realize the potential and what can be done -and done easily- with their phones, they will stick with the crappy ones that cost $20 with a contract plan.

There is better and more useful stuff out there, give it a try.