Nokia to provide location content for new BMW 7 series

Finnish phone giant Nokia has revealed that its Location and Commerce business will be  supplying global NAVTEQ Maps to power the next generation BMW navigation system. This is the same mapping content that is used on Nokia’s smartphones and will be employed within every Windows Phone 8-powered smartphone.

The new system will be making its debut on the forthcoming BMW 7-series, and will introduce new features and content to BMW drivers, the likes of BMW’s new Eco Pro Route and visual guides that include enhanced 3D City Models as well as 3D landmarks. BMW’s Eco Pro Route feature will provide drivers with the most fuel efficient route to their destination, by taking different factors into consideration such as heavy congestion on the road ahead as well as steep hills and inclines on route.

BMW is not the only luxury German automaker to employ NAVTEQ Maps, as Mercedes-Benz has also opted for Nokia’s mapping content. Mercedes-Benz will be using it within the navigation and infotainment system of its upcoming 2013 A-Class range. The mapping- and navigation system will deliver new functionality to the A-Class such as Extended Lanes, which will guide drivers to the correct lane whilst they are navigating complex junctions.

“NAVTEQ Maps powered the first navigation system on the European market which was introduced by BMW in the early 1990s - and our relationship has continued throughout the extraordinary development and expansion of the location space,” said Bruno Bourguet, senior VP of sales and business development for Nokia Location and Commerce.

“Today, our goal is to understand and anticipate driver needs and demands and deliver the right products at the right time. We have the content, platform and services available to support BMW as the company continues to innovate,” Bourguet concluded.

In related news, Nokia also recently expanded its Asha range of features phones with the announcement of its new Asha 308 and 308 budget devices. Both of these devices boasts a 3" (240 x 400 pixels; 155 ppi) scratch-resistant, capacitive touchscreen, 2 MP camera, while operating on Nokia’s Asha Touch OS.