Thursday, Nokia commenced distributing professional GPS navigation software on 10 of its smartphones. This brings Nokia in direct competition with Google.

The users view GPS mapping software as one of the most popular applications for mobile phones. With the decision of Nokia to turn it into giveaway might hinder its own attempts to produce revenue from mobile services and to recover the $8.1 billion it spent in October 2007 to purchase NavTeq, a maker of digital mapping data in Chicago.

The global leader in cellphone handsets, Nokia, provided a new, free version of its Ovi Maps software via its Web site. This software included turn-by-turn instructions for 74 countries, with vocal prompts in 46 languages, and maps for an

Anssi Vanjoki, a Nokia executive vice president said, "By adding cameras at no extra cost to our phones, we quickly became the biggest camera manufacturer in the world. The aim of the new Ovi Maps is to enable us to do the same for navigation."

Though Nokia feels that its move is "game-changing", analysts were suspicious it would stem the slide in Nokia's share of the top-end market.

In other developments related to the Finland based company, Nokia also is mulling to come out with its new phone on 26th January. No details related to the set are known as yet.