Nokia unveils beta SDK for Ovi app platform

Nokia has released a beta version of the software development kit for its Ovi application platform.

The SDK's availability was announced on Thursday at the Nokia World 09 event in Stuttgart, along with the release of a new application programming interface (API) for developers who want to integrate Nokia handsets' navigation capabilities into their applications.

The Ovi SDK is a web-based toolbox for developers that lets them develop web services and applications for handsets running either of Nokia's two smartphone operating systems: Symbian and Maemo.

Developers can write applications using standard web technologies such as CSS, HTML and Javascript, much as they can when writing for Palm's WebOS or the Bondi widget specification.

The new Ovi Navigation Player API is designed to be used alongside the existing Ovi Maps Player API, according to a Nokia blog post, and lets applications guide users to destinations.

Developers can register their interest in the invitation-only beta SDK at Forum Nokia.