Nokia maps clock 1.4 million downloads

Nokia's new competitor to the online mapping giants has logged more than 1.4 million downloads in the first week of its launch.

The OVI Maps program is one of five services for Nokia's Ovi brand which also include media, music, games and messaging.

It is supported by the Navteq geographic information system used by Mercedes-Benz, Mini, and government law enforcement and transport agencies.

Nokia executive vice president Anssi Vanjoki said the program was being downloaded once every second on average.

“Within days there is an installed base of more than one million active users all potentially hungry for new and innovative location-aware apps,” Vanjoki said in a written statement.

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

Mapping programs are standard in smart phones: Blackberry uses GPS and Trilateration in its new models while Apple's iPhone uses Google Maps by default. Online maps are dominated by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, MapQuest and OpenStreetMap.

Nokia has been looking to incorporate third party applications, services and providers into its OVI platform since its launch in August 2008.

The company will pre-load its GPS-enabled smart phone line with local Ovi Map data, drive navigation, and travel guides from Lonely Planet as part of its third party deals.

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