Nokia announced that it has completed the acquisition of Novarra, which [acquisition] was initially announced on March 26, 2010.
The plan now is to integrate Novarra’s mobile browser and services platform (and deliver enhanced Internet experiences) into Nokia Series 40 mobile phones.
The way I see it, this might actually work for Nokia. The Finnish giant already operates a mobile marketing department and by integrating Novarra’s technology with some mobile ad magic, it could create a compelling offering for the carriers, which refuse to be turned into dumb pipes. As a result, carriers (Nokia partners) could offer even more subsidized handsets to the users and get portion of the money back from mobile advertising-generated revenues.
Many companies, Novarra included, have tried monetizing on mobile widgets but so far we haven’t found a clear winner. With Nokia’s scale, they could make a difference, especially in emerging markets where carriers are struggling to increase ARPUs… Any thoughts?