Nokia is not only the worlds one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers, but it an innovative software developer, albeit a specialized. Of course, Nokia specializes in software related to mobile phones and the communication industry.

It is a common practice for large companies to maintain special labs. Microsoft has such a lab, and the Google Lab is famous for producing innovative applications and services. The software produced by such labs usually comes as a beta version. A beta version means that the software has passed internal testing and is now ready to be released outside the organization that develops the software. Applications at this stage are very close to what they will be when finally released. However, beta level software can contain some known issues, as well as other unknown bugs. Usually, it's not dangerous to use beta applications.

Unfortunately, many of those applications always stay at a beta stage until they are finally discontinued. However, recently, with the advent of the Web the time span for betas has increased considerably. A clear example is the Google Mail.

Let's get back to Nokia's Beta Labs. They already offer such innovative applications as a web server for your mobile phone, Nokia Maps 2.0, Nokia PC Phone, Nokia Audiobooks and many more. The web site is organized conveniently. You can quickly see if a particular application is compatible with your device and download the application.

So, what are you waiting for? Check out the Nokia Beta Labs at http://www.nokia.com/betalabs.