Nokia: Ovi store's app downloads are rising

NEW YORK, USA: Daily downloads of mobile applications from Nokia's Ovi mobile software store have risen globally to 2.3 million from 2 million in a few weeks according to a top executive for the company.

Marco Argenti, Nokia's vice president for media, also told Reuters that Nokia is seeing 200,000 people signing up each day to its Ovi service, which was launched in May last year.

Argenti said services would be as important as hardware if Nokia is to succeed in improving the popularity of its phones in the United States where it has lost out hugely to rivals such as Apple Inc and Google Inc.

"We're very much part of this focus to re-conquer in the United States. It's not just devices," he said.