In the age of smartphones, the internet, and applications, a phone company is only as good as the services it provides. Fortunately, 2009 saw Nokia release a whole host of new services that set about improving its user’s experiences, both on their devices and also on their PCs. Read on after the jump for our round up of Nokia’s best services of 2009.

Nokia Maps
Getting from A to B, or even finding that fabled Cuban restaurant on the other side of London, is quite important to many people – no one likes getting lost, and no body likes asking for directions. Thankfully, Nokia Maps is here to make sure nobody ever has to, and throughout 2009 there have been some significant updates, which has seen enhanced Drive and Walk navigation, as well as improved syncronisation features thanks to Ovi Maps. We even saw the introduction of Nokia Good Things, which is great social networking travel site.

Nokia Maps got a major update this year and now allows you to plan a route on your PC then send it over to your Nokia device so directions can be accessed whilst your on the move, ensuring you’ll never get lost again! Additionally, Nokia Maps now features 3D map rotation, current GPS positioning, as well as markers for landmarks and places of interest.

The general idea behind Nokia Maps 3.0 was to make it more user intuitive, particularly in terms of how it syncs up with Ovi Maps. Overall, the process has been a success, as now you can add Favourites and Collections to Nokia Maps via syncronisation with Ovi Maps, and vice-versa, which creates a seamless navigation experience.

Nokia Messaging
Nokia Messaging, the service that gives users instant access to email, instant messaging, and social networking services, went live on the 10th November 2009. The service, which can be accessed via either a PC or a Nokia device, is essentially a management tool for users’ email accounts, Ovi Mail accounts, IM accounts, and social networking sites. The beauty of Nokia Messaging is that it puts everything under one roof and provides support for all the major service providers – Gmail, Google Talk, AOL Mail, Windows Live Hotmail, MSN Messenger, and Facebook, as well as bringing in content from user guides, the official Nokia support forums, BetaLabs and also from blogs and Twitter.

Nokia Music
Nokia Music is Nokia’s one stop shop for all your music-based needs. The service puts all your music at your fingertips and in one place, so you can get easy access to it from either your PC or mobile device. Once the Nokia Ovi Player is installed, you can easily move music from your PC to your Nokia handset, rip your CD tracks into the Ovi Player library where they can be transferred over to your mobile, and even receive recommendations for artists and songs based on your current library and what you’ve been listening to. The overall feel of the Nokia Music is simplicity – it puts your music in one place, where you can then do with it as you please.

Like what you see or has Nokia succeeded in other areas this year too? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below.