23 May 2008

Nokia navigation service harnesses Ordnance Survey data

Nokia, the world’s leading producer of mobile products, is taking advantage of Ordnance Survey location data in its new Nokia Maps 2.0 service.

With the launch of Nokia Maps 2.0, Nokia is taking its mapping and navigation experiences to the next level. The new service features improved optional car navigation, enhanced pedestrian navigation, added multimedia city guides, and now  satellite images and a redesigned user interface,

Ordnance Survey’s Code-Point data is underpinning the GPS service by providing the exact location for the 1.7 million postcodes in the UK. This allows users to get direction information that is both highly accurate and linked to an actual place "on the map".

Nokia Maps 2.0 update adds Walk, a pedestrian-focused navigation component, to the application while still offering an optional world-class car navigation system. The pedestrian navigation efficiently walks you from A to B with visual turn-by-turn guidance. Because Ordnance Survey’s Code-Point data goes beyond a simple list of postcodes and provides each one with a specific location, users can be confident they are heading in the right direction.

"By taking navigation services out of the car and onto the pavement, Nokia is enabling people to explore and discover what’s around them with the confidence of a local," said Michael Halbherr, Vice-President, Nokia location-based services. "Nokia Maps 2.0 provides a unique experience with which other less accurate mobile navigation applications don't.

"Ordnance Survey is helping us to ensure that users in the UK have access to the best available service."

Mark Salter, Ordnance Survey’s Head of Partners and Strategic Alliance, says: "We are delighted to be working with the world’s biggest player in mobile communications and this is a fantastic example of the success of our Partner Alliance programme.

"Nokia’s enhanced service, which helps both pedestrians and motorist navigate, is an excellent example of the benefits location-based services can bring to people’s lives. Our data is helping to ensure that people using the service know it is as accurate and reliable as possible."

The new version of Nokia Maps 2.0 for selected devices is available on the Nokia website: www.maps.nokia.com

For more information on Ordnance Survey products for business visit: www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/business

Note for editors

Nokia and Nokia Maps are registered trademarks of Nokia Corporation.

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