New Ovi Maps version gets 1.4-million downloads

ESPOO - Nokia announced that since the Jan. 21 launch of the new version of Ovi Maps with free walk and drive navigation, there have been over 1.4 million downloads. The one-million mark was reached just one week after the launch.

“We are averaging a download a second, 24 hours a day,” said Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia executive vice president. “When we announced free walk and drive navigation we knew it would be a game-changer. The number of people now using their Nokia for navigation, and as a result looking for more location-aware software, is growing faster than even we predicted.”

The success of the new version Ovi Maps is a key part of Nokia’s strategy to lead the market in mobile maps, navigation and location-based services. 

By leveraging its investment in NAVTEQ, Nokia has been able to remove the costs associated with navigation for drivers and pedestrians and is quickly activating a massive user base to which it can offer new location features, content and services.

“This is great news for our third-party application developers. Within a matter of days there is an installed base of more than one million active users all potentially hungry for new and innovative location-aware apps,” said Vanjoki. 

“For the operators, too, there is a growing opportunity to sell more data plans and a complete navigation package to existing and new customers,” Vanjoki added.

As of Jan. 31, the top five countries downloading the new version of Ovi Maps were China, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.

The top five most popular Nokia devices installing the download were the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia N97, Nokia 5230 and Nokia E72.

“There is a huge appetite for GPS navigation on mobile phones. We estimate there were already 25.9 million people actively using GPS navigation on their mobile phones at the end of 2009,” said Chris Jones, vice president and principal analyst at research firm Canalys. 

From next month, all new Nokia GPS-enabled smartphones will include the new version of Ovi Maps, pre-loaded with local country map data, with high-end walk and drive navigation and access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides at no extra cost. 

Ovi Maps covers more than 180 countries with car and pedestrian navigation for 74 countries, in 46 languages, and traffic information for more than 10 countries.

There are more than 6,000 3D landmarks for 200 cities around the world. Lonely Planet and Michelin guides have information on more than 1,000 destinations globally.