2008
Ovi Maps
Nokia developed Ovi Maps which is a free mapping product and service. It is incorporated into Nokia mobile phones and smartphone devices. Ovi is a brand by Nokia which focuses on internet services, and Ovi Maps is one of these services.
A user can utilize Ovi Maps through a mobile device. Other sources of the service are personal computers supported by the Nokia Ovi Suite and the internet through Ovi.com. Nokia focuses on 5 key service aspects listed as gaming, mapping, media engaging, messaging, and music referencing.
Nokia developed Ovi to be readily integrated with 3rd party operators and services like the Flickr photo site of Yahoo. The Ovi service is starting to evolve into a larger platform since the introduction of Ovi Maps Player API. More 3rd parties are making use of Nokia’s Ovi services.
Nokia is continuously making efforts in getting involved with internet services competing head-on with existing players in the industry such as Google, Microsoft and Apple.
Before it was called Ovi Maps, the mapping service was once called “Smart2Go”. Later on, it changed names to Nokia Maps before finally being called Ovi Maps. Ovi Maps was first introduced into the market in August 2006 which was roughly about the same time Nokia acquired Gate5, a German route planning Software Company.
The expansion of Nokia Maps heightened after acquisition of NAVTEQ Corp., a Chicago, Illinois-based digital map supplier. Later on, the mapping service was incorporated as one of the multiple features of Ovi.
Users can browse places around the globe with Ovi Maps. It makes planning trips easier. People can also search addresses and other interesting locations, and then save them on the Ovi application.
The service is user-friendly. It can run on a standard browser with any operation system under Apple Mac OS X with Safari 3, Microsoft Windows XP or Vista with Internet Explorer 6 or 7, or Mozilla Firefox 2 or 3.
