Nokia plans to dominate the world of GPS navigation as the company announced this morning an update to Ovi Maps that will enable consumers to access free car and pedestrian navigation features from any Nokia smartphone.
The new Ovi Maps navigation feature will provide turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries in 46 languages. Traffic information will also be free of charge for 10 countries initially, as will access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides.
This move should not be taken lightly by the PND industry. Nokia acquired digital mapping data provider NAVTEQ specifically to target the navigation industry. With the move to GPS navigation from the smartphone as opposed to the dashboard-mounted PND, Nokia’s mobile market share combined with the free cost of Ovi Maps navigation make it a definite threat.
Mobile app developers that are part of the Ovi for developers beta programme will be the first to access the new Ovi Maps data from which they can create new apps. According to a press release this morning, developers can also receive updates about the Navigation Player API and its commercial availability through the Forum Nokia. Consumers can download the updated Ovi Maps here.
