Nokia's WidSets, Improved and Out of Beta

Nokia announced that WidSets, the company's innovative Internet service launched in 2006, is no more in Beta version and has emerged to a new service platform. The new WidSets brings advertising in as the prime business model and provides a better usability by improving mobile widget library and localizing mobile clients. The service works on Java enabled mobile phones from different manufacturers and uses widgets, enabling users to have one-click easy access to real-time online content without using a mobile browser.

"We've been delighted with the feedback we've had from the Beta trials of WidSets," declared Jarmo Jokinen, Director of WidSets, Nokia Emerging Business Unit. "During that time, we've had more than 3 million users register for the WidSets service on more than 300 models of mobile device. We've valued the early feedback, which has enabled us to launch a more compelling service for users and content providers."

The new service platform comes with a dynamic search feature and an enhanced widget creation tool that provides simple, quick and more personalized options when creating widgets. All a user has to do is to enter the web address, select a feed and that's it, a personal widget is created. About 90% of WidSets' current content is already user generated, but many new widgets have been recently added by the WidSets team, which also made it simpler for users to search and find local and non-English-language content. Furthermore, the new Explore feature for finding widgets has options that enable live searching, filtering through recommended widgets, going through categories or tags and downloading to handsets.

WidSets offers from now on an exclusive advertising model to commercial customers that enables two-way interaction between the advertisers and their customers, being beneficial for both sides.

People can review widgets on the WidSets website, directly from mobile devices. Also, a user can see and share the latest and most popular widgets, as well as its own dashboard which now supports user images.

Nokia intends to pre-install WidSets in most of its mobile phones from 2008, with full support in different languages. The 8800 Arte handset, one of Nokia's latest devices, will be the first to come with pre-installed WidSets.

Compatible with more than 300 devices from different manufacturers, WidSets can be downloaded for free from its website.