Nokia's Navteq digital-mapping subsidiary announced a partnership with Intel to encourage development of location-based services (LBS) software using the Linux-based Moblin platform. A new, Intel-sponsored microsite on the Navteq Network for Developers portal provides resources for those developing LBS software for… Atom-based MIDs (mobile Internet devices).

As part of the agreement between the companies, Intel has joined the Navteq partner zone program. This enables the chipmaker to use Navteq Network for Developers (NN4D) as a channel and store front for accessing and distributing LBS products. The main focus for Intel, however, appears to be recruiting LBS application developers to develop on the Moblin MID platform using Navteq map data. At the Intel microsite, NN4D members can access Moblin technical support, software development kits (SDKs), and source code, says Navteq.

Chicago-based Navteq offers digital map, traffic and location data for navigation and location-based platforms worldwide, says the company. Wholly owned by Nokia, the company is said to have 4,000 employees located in 39 countries.

Intel reaches out to LBS

The partnership follows up on a February announcement from Telmap that it had ported its mobile navigation software to Linux, and was specifically targeting the Linux-based Moblin distribution for MIDs. While Telmap offers both services and navigation software, Navteq focuses on mapping database services, and says that its data is already being used on Moblin-based MIDs. Its mapping services include options such as “junction views” images, one of which is shown at top.

The deal represents the second announcement this week between Intel and a Nokia-controlled entity involving Moblin. Yesterday, Intel and Nokia announced they were jointly developing a Linux-based open source “oFono” mobile telephony partnership. The oFono stack could eventually support future telephony-enabled MIDs based on either Moblin or the Nokia-sponsored Maemo platform. Meanwhile, as Google's Android is stretching out into MID and netbook territory, it is bringing its own considerable portfolio of open source LBS software along with it.

Stated Pankaj Kedia, director of global ecosystem programs in Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, “We welcome Navteq's developer community to take advantage of the opportunities in the MID market segment.”

Stated Marc Naddell, VP, partner and developer programs, Navteq, “Working with Intel enables us to strengthen our support for the global Linux developer community while at the same time supporting the growing trend of convergence in the wireless marketplace. Location-based services are a natural fit for the new class of devices made possible through the Intel Atom processor and Linux-based Moblin software.”

Availability

The Intel Atom page on the Navteq Network for Developers (NN4D) site may be found here.

Navteq will present a workshop entitled “Leading the Next Wave of LBS: What's New in Mapping and Content” at the Where 2.0 2009 Conference in San Jose, Calif, on May 19, at 10:45AM.

 
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