You’re all obviously aware of Nokia’s Ovi services, which the company constantly updates in an effort to transform from a purely hardware company into a services one. Ovi is Finnish for ‘door’, as in the door to getting more use from your phone. However, I’ll bet you didn’t know about several other services that Nokia also has, which I like to call Nokia Unohtaneet services.
One of these services, Unohtaneet Sync, is a constant source of frustration for me. You probably know it as ‘Ovi Sync’, but make no mistake, it is, most definitely, unofficially Unohtaneet Sync.
Unohtaneet Sync is a relatively simple SyncML setup that allows you to synchronize your contacts, calendar, and notes to Nokia’s servers and back to your phone again. It was a great idea when it launched in August 2008 as Ovi Sync, but now that it’s Unohtaneet Sync, it’s just plain lame.
For starters, Unohtaneet Sync cannot be setup to automatically synchronize your information, nor is there a shortcut on any of Nokia’s currently available devices. In fact, on Nokia’s newer flagship smartphones like the Nokia N97, the Unohtaneet Sync settings are even more hidden than they were on previous devices, so that you have to dig through 3 layers of menus just to initiate a sync. Meanwhile, other flagship devices, such as the N900, don’t even support Unohtaneet Sync at all.
Second, Nokia launched their Ovi Mail webmail service a long time ago, but Unohtaneet Sync was never integrated. Users of Ovi Mail essentially have to maintain two separate contact lists, which is just plain crazy. Also, Nokia Messaging, the company’s push email solution doesn’t support Unohtaneet Sync, either. It’s entirely separate from pretty much everything, including Nokia’s other Ovi services, most of which could easily benefit from a centralized contact list.
Worse yet, Unohtaneet Sync has issues with multiple devices, while other SyncML solutions, such as Google Sync and GooSync, operate just fine and dandy. I have Google Sync over SyncML for contacts setup on my E63, 5800 XpressMusic, and N97, as well as GooSync, and never get duplicates, no matter how often I switch between those three phones. When I add Unohtaneet Sync to the mix, I get several copies of each contact, no matter how many times I manually de-dupe everything.
It would be really simple for Nokia to change Unohtaneet Sync back to Ovi Sync, and would probably take all of about a week for the talented gang at Ovi to accomplish:
1. BUILD AN APP – seriously, there was an awesome application called Swim that would basically let you automate the synchronization process. Unfortunately, it only works on S60 3rd Edition FP1 devices – FP2 and S60v5 devices aren’t supported. Nokia needs to get with the developer and make it happen, or do it themselves.
2. INTEGRATE. The contacts that I have on my cellphone is the most intimate social network you’ll ever find – it’s people who I actually communicate with on a frequent basis, and Nokia has access to that. They most certainly need to approach this in the most delicate way possible, but by integrating this into their Ovi services (Ovi Maps, Ovi Mail, Ovi Share, Ovi Chat, etc), they’ll be able to offer me the absolute most personalized experience ever, and that’s not something to be taken lightly. While you’re integrating, why not let me synchronize with Facebook to bring my friends’ contact photos over?
3. FIX IT – it’s SyncML, a pretty common standard. Given that 2 other SyncML services can properly handle multiple devices without issues, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that there’s something wrong with Unohtaneet Sync, and not my device. I should be able to set Unohtaneet Sync up on as many Nokia devices as I want and not have any duplicates, ever. It should also be much easier to consolidate those duplicates when they do happen.
Are you an Unohtaneet (Ovi) Sync user still? Do you have the same issues that I have, or is your experience 100% solid? What other suggestions do you have for Nokia to add to this seemingly forgotten service?
I don't get the name “unohtaneet”… did you just pull that one out of the air?
I don't get the name “unohtaneet”… did you just pull that one out of the air?
lol ya wierd name… havent heard that before.. same with my pal google :)
so far my experience with ovi sync has indeed been relatively solid.. tho ofcourse i use it mainly to backup and so have it only in 1 way or the other, and not exactly syncing..
the duplicating issues i have had enough times any time u start a new syncing service with data on either side.. for instance when ur trying a 2nd service after using one before .. like u :)
i like ovi sync because i like a fool actually used the N82 contact manager to its fullest extent.. by defining my own fields and such.. and google doesnt support all that. ovi sync atleast supports more than google, so thats my backup. what i would love is for them to integrate ovi sync with maps sync.. but ofc for that the dolts first have to integrate ovi sync and maps.. not the duct tape scenario that exists now.
“Unohtaneet” == “forgotten” in Finnish. Either nomen est omen or this is just an inside joke.
for a company that wants to make a transition from a hardware producer to both hardware and services..they are surely doing a lot of things wrong it's like they are not even trying. the single login doesn't work switching over from Ovi services to the Ovi store requires one to login again. the sync services is not without its hiccups. I have long dropped OVI sync for MobiCal which am used to and more reliable for me.. Nokia should get their acts right and address these issues. They are guilty of chronic laziness in implememtation of their ideas
If anyone's interested there's a great hosted SyncML service out of France that's not free but is absolutely worth paying for (and it's super-cheap).
Their site is here:
http://memotoo.com/
And my review of it is here:
http://acurrie.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/pim-2-0...
I am working with the SyncML package owner for Symbian to make Swim work on 3rd FP2 and 5th.
Brilliant! Please do let me know if you need any testers, and let me know when it's done, I'd *love* to highlight it here.
Sync scenario with Nokia devices/services is very confusing. Things dont work the way they should.
duplicate contacts, loss of of some fields are always issues.
Also we are missing sync from PC/Mac to OVI.com cloud which will be useful to many. Integration between all contact lists is promised as coming soon, but when is so called “soon”?
what am i missing here? my N97 automatically syncs with ovi sync every so often. i know this for sure, because i've hard reset the dam thing so often that i would have lost loads of data if it hadn't been syncing properly – and i only manually sync just the once during setup (after each hard reset).
maybe this is a geocentric feature/bug? i've got a NAM variant (shoddy chinese built one).
-bit
This is different from syncing with your desktop – this is syncing completely wirelessly, over the air, from phone to server.
yes, i understand that. in fact, i dont think ovi sync has ANY ability to sync with the desktop at all. and since i'm a mac user, only recently have i been able to sync my n97 to my desktop (using the isync plugin).
i was referring to the same ovi sync you wrote about. all my crap was automagically online and there for me to get back again after each and every hard-reset i've unfortunately had to perform.
i could be mistaken – i did switch to using isync when the plugin was released – but i could have sworn i never manually sync'd my phone and i do know for a fact that all my crap was definitely up-to-date on the server because new calendar events were restored after performing hard-resets.
Please make me a tester. send to ladykaya@ovi.com
Brilliant – just brilliant. Not one single thing I can disagree with here, and it's EXACTLY what I feel about it all.
The shock I got, when I got my N86, as my first ever FP2 device, and found Swim no longer works (that in itself, being a third party solution to a Nokia O.S. Problem), was devastating.
My regular GooSync Syncs went out the window!
Nokia, why the HELL are you investing time and resources in giving ever more fancy, but un-needed widgets etc for 5th Edition, when you can't even sort out an intrinsic part of the O.S. that is an essential requirement for a real-world “means business” operating system?
DOH.
So spot on mate – well said indeed!
As per my comments above about Swim, and how essential this was (well done) – I too would LOVE to help test any FP2 version.
Just let me know if this would help/is possible.
SyncML on any Nokia handset currently has no AUTOMATIC sync feature.
Are you sure your not out of the Ball-park here, and actually all that is happening, is good old U.D.P. (User Data Preservation).
Many (but not all, and for some weird reason, with no real pattern to what sort of device) Nokia phones now have UDP – that is, user data is PRESERVED, after a crash, firmware update, etc etc.
This is not done in the Cloud – it is kept safe and separate but ON THE PHONE, when a Firmware update etc gets done…
While I realize that most people are looking for a free or inexpensive solution to wireless syncing (including everyone who has posted so far), can I point out the elephant in the room? Every one of Nokia' S60 3rd Edition and 5th Edition phones for the last several years has had full support for Microsoft Exchange Active Sync. ALL OF THEM. Unlike Samsung and Sony Ericsson, Nokia provides their own MFE application which integrates very well into the phone. My company has used MFE for over three years now and I have never experienced any compatibility issues with any phone I have used or tested. My coworkers and I have no issues syncing both ways with our phones, webmail on any browser, outlook on any PC, or Entourage on any Mac. Best of all it is a perfect solution for both back-ups and device switching. If I pick up my E71 after a month of no use, the second I turn it on it connects to my wireless provider or an available WiFi network automatically and begins to sync any changes that occurred while it was out of the loop. If you think Mail for Exchange is only for large companies, think again. We have a grand total of three employees, including the owner :) There are companies out there that will host an exchange server for you, so that you need not do any work except to enter the settings into the device(s) of your choice. Websites like 123Together.com will provide hosted Exchange support for as low as $13 per user, per month. MFE still does not allow you to integrate any of Nokias services or any social networking sites, but for now it is the best solution for mail, contacts, calendar, and notes synchronization.
BTW Ricky, “Forgotten Sync” sounds a little too close to “Missing Sync” You wouldn't want Mark/Space talking you to (Finish) court :)
“Unohtaneet”, he-he, that's a good one. ;)
sure, but UDP keeps information locked to the phone. i want cloud sync for several reasons, including convenience with multiple handsets, protection if my phone dies, etc. That's something UDP can't touch.
Sure. Hope to make some progress shortly, there is no reason why it shouldn't work.
Yes, problems like this makes me wonder about Nokia's commitment to Ovi. Doing sync is easy, doing it reliably across multiple phones is tricky. We solved that with Rseven app (see rseven.com) – that can sync multiple phones & cross platform (WM, S60).
All contacts & calendar stored online at rseven.com, where you can match the contact to your FB friends & get their profile photo into the phone.
Rseven goes beyond SyncML since it backups call logs (incl. recording of calls), SMS, MMS, email, images, video & audio.
I fully agree with you. I dont use this sync anymore due to the technical problems which are not only duplicating, sometimes the info get really mixed up between differnt people”s information. Nokia is sleeping, other companies can get this kind of things done.
:D At first glance I actually thought this was a real service. 'Unohdettu' (a/the forgotten) and 'unohtivat' (they forgot) could've also been appropriate names :)
But I agree, it would be a non-issue for Nokia to implement automatic syncing.. While I love the fact they have Ovi (I have Ovi) to back-up my data to, it's a strange omission not to be able to make the process automatic.
:D At first glance I actually thought this was a real service. 'Unohdettu' (a/the forgotten) and 'unohtivat' (they forgot) could've also been appropriate names :)
But I agree, it would be a non-issue for Nokia to implement automatic syncing.. While I love the fact they have Ovi (I have Ovi) to back-up my data to, it's a strange omission not to be able to make the process automatic.
You surely know this, but Swim is now available in a new version that also supports Symbian 5th.
http://code.google.com/p/bergamot/downloads/list