Nokia has unveiled plans to multiply the users of its services six-fold, to 300 million by 2012, from its current 53.9 million.

Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo outlined plans to transform Nokia into a services company, after 22 years as a mobile manufacturer, ahead of Nokia World, set to take place in Stuttgart on 2 September.

Nokia services for mobiles cover email and instant messaging, games, maps and music. Most carry the Ovi brand name.

The company also plans to take on Apple and produce mobile phones that can compete effectively with the iPhone.

Kallasvuo told the Financial Times that Nokia was aiming to be ‘even more competitive’, following criticism that the manufacturer had failed to come up with a handset to match the iPhone.

This week, Nokia will boost its smartphone strategy with the release of a device featuring a Linux operating system.

The company is also expected to unveil plans to sell netbooks at Nokia World this year.