Nokia Turn By Turn Navigation Is The hottest News For Smartphone Users
Well here is one great news for all the nokia smart phone users across the globe. Nokia maps are making Ovi maps free for life and are making it available to more than 20 million nokia smartphone users. Ovi maps have been made free in an attempt to gain the market back as nokia started to loose its market to Apple and RIM {Reuters}. It actually started by google as google started to offer free google maps on motorolla and android phones. But That was only in selected markets like U.S.A and Canada. Nokia is starting the ovi maps free in over more than 74 countries in several languages.
"It will help us to sell smartphones," Anssi Vanjoki, head of marketing at Nokia, told Reuters in an interview. "It will serve as a defense to our product prices."
This move can hurt the real big satnav players in the market. Even shares of some companies like TOM TOM have stated showing decrease on this news.
"This has massive consequences for pure software companies. It is of course a watershed for the industry," said Michael Halbherr, vice president for location-based services at Nokia, adding he saw navigation as a "function masquerading as an industry."
"If you are a pure software player - you've got a big problem. Who's going to pay for turn by navigation now Nokia and Google are giving it away," said analyst Martin Garner from British consultancy CCS Insight.