Cross-platform instant messaging application Nimbuzz has partnered with Nokia to release a new version of its service designed specifically for the current range of Nokia Lumia smartphones.
“This version of Nimbuzz Messenger for Windows Mobile has been built to take full advantage of the hardware and design aesthetic offered by the Nokia Lumia series,” says Nimbuzz. “This development partnership with Nimbuzz marks a major step forward for Nokia, who is looking to use Nimbuzz as a model for its developer outreach.”
Nimbuzz currently has 105 million users worldwide - but its success has been found largely in emerging markets via the Symbian platform. The app will now be available via the Windows Marketplace (it is also available for Android, iOS, J2ME and as a PC and Mac desktop application).
By working to bring the most popular applications from Symbian to Windows Phone, it is said that Nokia is looking to replicate its past market success by appealing to users in both emerging and mature markets.
Director of global partner management for Nokia, Maximilian Schierst"adt, says: “Nimbuzz has long been one of Nokia's most requested apps, with Nimbuzz Messenger providing Nokia consumers with an easy-to-use, free way to connect with friends and share content. We're committed to developing partnerships, such as Nimbuzz, which deliver even better apps, services and features to our portfolio of devices.”
While Nimbuzz has seen great success on lower-end phones, breaking into the smartphone market will see it compete directly with major messaging services such as Whatsapp. Whatsapp recently announced it has reached a new daily record of handling 10 billion messages on its platform per day.
Whatsapp has been growing rapidly in SA, going from 0% market share in 2010, to 26% this year. This growth has been associated with the major marketing push the application has received from Nokia locally in response to the considerable growth of BlackBerry Messenger.
Nokia is expected to unveil its first Windows Phone 8 handsets at a joint event with Microsoft next week. The success of the new Lumia phones will be key for Nokia as the company tries to regain some of the ground it has lost to rival platforms Android and iOS.
Share
