Think of maps, location and navigation and what comes to most minds is Google.

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But this mindset will change soon as competition is likely to hot up with device OEMs set to provide such mapping services through GPS-loaded portable devices without the need to connect with the internet.

Spime, a California-based tech company with R&D offices in Chennai, has just launched Windows 7 based alternative to Google maps. “For the first time ever, OEMs will be launching location, map, POI (point of interest), routing and navigation services on Windows 7-based portable devices competing with Google. This will be an out of box free bundle for the OEM’s customers,” Shankar Narayanan, CEO, Spime Inc told FC.

According to him, Device OEM will soon launch the solution this quarter in about eight different countries and languages. He, however, declined to reveal the name the OEM citing a non-disclosure agreement.

Spime’s hybrid mapping and navigation engine – MapMan – with its map viewer and turn-by-turn voice guided navigation applications on Windows 7 power the solution. Device OEMs will be initially launching with netbooks, notebooks, touch screen slates and MIDs and Spime plans to extend its availability to the Windows Phone 7 platform soon.

MapMan enables complete location mapping services even when a device is not connected to the internet and when connected, it can fetch dynamic data.

“While the device comes with all required static data on mapping, the engine is designed with the capability of downloading any updated dynamic information such as maps, POI, anytime using the hybrid capability,” Shankar said.

But why will the OEMs look for an alternative to Google? Because, as per the present practise, the moment OEMs sign up with Google to use its maps, the OEMs are locked and they cannot use or have their own advertising strategy, since Google controls the complete advertising on its maps.

“Since the engine is coupled with Spime’s map viewer application, users will even get ‘Google Maps-like’ functionality offline. Until now, map solutions require a user to be connected to the internet and thereby limit them,” Gary Mendel, Spime’s VP, worldwide marketing and sales, said.

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