Nokia updated its mapping services, introducing the new brand ‘HERE’, including a strategy to extend availability of its location services across devices and operating systems.

Underlining its cross-platform strategy, the company is using an HTML5 version to target Apple’s iOS devices – following criticism of Apple’s own mapping efforts – and announced plans for a HERE software development kit for Android OEMs to launch early in 2013

Nokia is also working with Mozilla to offer a version for the fledgling Firefox OS.

"Maps are hard to get right – but location is revolutionising how we use technology to engage with the real world,” said Michael Halbherr, EVP of Location & Commerce at Nokia.

There will be some limitations in the various incarnations of HERE. According to the Nokia Conversations blog, HERE Maps for iOS has been “designed for urban use”, meaning “the voice navigation only works for journeys on foot”.

With the focus on its cross-platform proposition, the company did not unveil any further additions to its Windows Phone mapping portfolio – Nokia provides the “backbone for all location experiences on Windows Phone 8”.

While Nokia is Microsoft’s mapping partner for WP8, it does differentiate with its own apps, for example with Nokia Maps including the City Lens augmented reality feature.

Supporting its efforts, the company also announced the acquisition of California-based company Earthtime, to “advance the 3D capabilities of HERE”. Its reality capture and processing technologies “will become integral parts of HERE’s 3D map making capabilities”.