Nokia’s recent $8.1 billion purchase of Navteq is evidence of continued consolidation among map data providers, and will pave the way for cell phone-based GPS systems to replace portable and vehicular mapping devices, according to analysts and industry executives.

On Monday, Nokia agreed to pay $8.1 billion in cash for Navteq in a deal that will likely help the cell phone maker break into the GPS/navigational space. After the deal closes in the first quarter of 2008, Navteq’s current map data business will continue to operate independently, but will be known as a Nokia Group company, Nokia said. The move comes after European car navigation maker TomTom in July said it would shell out approximately $2.8 billion for digital mapping company TeleAtlas; the deal became a formal takeover bid earlier this month.

Nokia’s purchase is “proof of commoditization trends among map data providers,” according to a Tuesday report from Gartner’s Thilo Koslowski.

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