Okay, I've got carried away. But it's painful to watch what's not happening with Nokia Ovi services - even if you have popcorn. :-) Where is the revolution? I was promised flying cars more than a year ago! Don't misunderstand me. Share on Ovi actually won me over (my Flickr Pro account is collecting dust). Can't wait to have access to Nokia Music (via my Mac). I'm loving Nokia Maps and what's coming for location services. But ... what seems to be an easy path to world domination - is simply not happening.

First step towards world domination

Take Ovi Sync, which I believe is The Key to utilizing the enormous potential at hand. Start simple. Four-hundred million devices per year. 400.000.000. One million per day. Assuming at least 25% is Ovi-enabled - there is a 100-million market for driving Nokia's internet services to success. While Nokia is obviously pushing Share as the primary entry point to Ovi, Sync seems a much easier target. Here is why:

• your contact list is the most valuable part of your mobile
• it is the first thing you transfer to your new phone
• it is your biggest concern, if your phone is lost, stolen, destroyed or abducted by aliens
• it is universal from the Nokia 1100 to N96, from senior citizens to 12-year old emo kids

The contact list is the perfect target: high value, at constant risk and a simple solution already existing. Only two more steps to world domination: easy accessibility and clear marketing.

Easy accessibility

Nokia account signup should come as a standard issue with all new devices, starting with Nokia 5800. You switch on the device, asks for your login or registers your username and phone number. At 10% conversion rate, here comes 10 million user in 2009. Then moving on, phone offers the Switch app to bring everything from your old faithful. Does the usual transfer, but instead of closing, it suggests to bring your most precious data to safety heaven - the Ovi Sync. Here comes additional 40 million user in 2009. No data is being transferred? Not a problem: after my father has typed in his most important 50 contacts from his old 3210, the phone would suggest setting up the Nokia account and safely storing the contacts. Where else could the Nokia account signup be integrated? What is the best point to offer backup?

Clear marketing

Forget Sync. Welcome Safety. Compare the two messages:

• Organise your life Keep your contacts & calendar up to date, in sync and backed up on Ovi.
• Never lose your contacts Safely store your contacts on Ovi for free.

Syncing your data with your computer or web services is for the 20% geeks - the first message applies to these advanced users. The other 80% just wants a safe copy somewhere, today. Why not talk to them first? My mother wouldn't feel the urge to set up sync with a web service - but she would quickly arrange for a backup of her 100 contacts. I sync to back up and I'm proud of it. Why do you sync? And what could be the best message for the Ovi Sync?

Ovi Sync today

The fact is, Ovi Sync is great, already today. It took about 20 seconds to do the initial synchronization: contacts, calendar and notes. Sequential updates take 3 seconds only. I really don't like cables and since experiencing this wonder, I want everything OTA. You should try it out today, if you haven't done so yet. If only Nokia would push it with all its powers. Ovi could go from zero to hero in one year with 50 million users. (Oh, and the relation with Ovi dying? If Nokia won't drive Ovi to success today, someone else will introduce the first popular mobile-web service and grab all the attention...)