Don’t Underestimate the Importance of The New Ovi SDK

Whilst at Nokia World this year, I noticed in the Experience Lounge, a display table, with a couple of TFT Monitors, and a notice saying that something would be announced the following day, the second day of Nokia World.

On the second day, I went back to the Experience Lounge to take a further look, and find out what this new announcement was. It was the new Ovi SDK, which in my opinion has slipped under many people radars this year, with most not realizing the importance of such development tools.

Luckily, our Social Media Group got some priceless one to one time with the guys behind the Ovi SDk, who were more than happy to show us exactly what it can do, how to do it, and demonstrate right in front of us, how easy it is to use.
If you’re not a developer yourself, but interested in possibly developing in the future, then read on. (Click Read More).
Ovi SDK is a developer toolkit that’s been worked on for the past year that exposes JavaScript APIs to Ovi Services on mobile. The Ovi SDK, available right now in beta, enables you to create contextual apps for Nokia devices, what are known as Ovi apps, and API’s..

If you have heard of Carbride, another earlier development tool, which although was very usful, it was overly complicated, and it was this complication that put many upcoming, or want to be developers. The Ovi SDK toolkit, simplifies this process, making available all the tools needed to develop, and in the simplest way, with many templates to use.
The first APIs that are available are for mapping and navigation.

The Ovi Maps player API for web has been in beta for a few months and now bringing those to mobile. High level JavaScript APIs to vector based 3D maps, satellite pictures and a whole lot more. Map data is based on Navteq maps with best in class data and global coverage. And best of all, for you we make it both open and free. The Ovi Navigation player API introduces turn by turn navigation and routing APIs for pedestrian and car navigation. Again, for you, free. The SDK itself is runs as a plugin in your Firefox (on PC) and Safari (on Mac) browser.

Now I, as a non-developer, asked during the meeting just how easy it was to use one of these templates, and if they could show us exactly what process was involved in this, and how long it would take. Within seconds, the first template was launched, and within less than a minute the custom named app on maps was created. So simple, even I consider myself possibly giving this a try myself.!

The Ovi team, call these Ovi APIs “players” because they are like media players: easy to embed in your web site, and now easy to use in your mobile app. With one line of code, your app can enable car navigation or pedestrian navigation to the destination.
The Ovi SDK is based on web technologies. With basic knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript, You can create Ovi apps for mobile and embed the Maps player in your web site. They have even gone one step further in the SDK by including a UI library for mobile devices that automatically scale to different device form factors.
Ovi apps are contextual. What does that mean? It means that the apps put the user in the center. Literally. By using positioning APIs and time, the app can filter out information that is relevant for the user “right here, right now” without the need for even a search query.
The map is great for visually display large amount of data on small screens. With navigation, the Ovi Apps can bridge the virtual and real world by guiding the users to a location he or she has discovered.
Ovi SDK launched recently as a developer preview (i.e. in an early beta) to get your feedback. Go to http://www.forum.nokia.com/ovi, apply for the beta program, join the conversation in the discussion boards and let the guys know what you think!
Source of some info Ovi Blog, Nokiausers & Actual Meeting at Nokia World.