Nokia Launches Development Tools For Ovi Platform

Finland's Nokia Corp., the world's largest mobile phone maker, Thursday said it is launching a set of tools to make it easier for external developers to create applications for its Internet service platform, Ovi, as it aims catch up on the success of iPhone maker Apple Inc.'s App Store.

"Our goal is clear, and that is to make it effortless for our partners to create highly appealing, context-relevant applications," said Niklas Savander, Executive Vice President Services at Nokia.

The Espoo, Finland-based company said it will progressively roll out new Application Program Interfaces, or APIs, for its services, starting Thursday with the Ovi Maps Player and Ovi Navigation Player.

Nokia Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo on Wednesday put location-based applications at the heart of the company's focus on mobile services.

The company, currently staging its Nokia World showcase in Stuttgart, Germany, is also launching a slew of new devices, including a mini-laptop, to expand its business as revenue from mobile handsets falls.

Nokia also said Thursday it will launch the Ovi Software Development Kit Beta, providing developers with a set of tools to create applications for the Internet and for its Symbian and Maemo mobile operating systems.

Applications created with Ovi SDK and Ovi APIs will be available for consumers through the Ovi Store in 2010, the company said.

Ovi Store, which was launched by Nokia in May this year, allows users to download applications to their phones, much like Apple's App Store, which opened in July 2008.

Nokia doesn't disclose the number of applications available on Ovi Store or the number of downloads made.

However, press spokesperson Eija-Riitta Huovinen said there are around 5,500 content items available, which can include applications and more basic content such as ringtones and wallpapers.

Apple's App Store in July had around 65,000 applications from which users had made over 1.5 billion downloads.

Ovi has had a difficult start and is still far smaller in scope than the App Store, but giving developers the right tools may be a step in the right direction, said Ben Wood, research director at CCS Insight.

Nokia Wednesday highlighted its Lifecasting with Ovi service, which will allows users to integrate with their accounts on social-networking Web site Facebook, which it said it will launch on a mini version of its N97 smartphone in October.