To keep the snowballing business that is Uber going the company needs to be ever forward looking. To achieve this the ride sharing service looks to invest in all possible areas of the business, especially its mapping and GPS capabilities.
A report in the New York Times indicates that the company has taken a step forward in bidding to buy Nokia’s HERE mapping service…
The report, which cited three anonymous sources familiar with the deal, said Uber has submitted a bid for as much as $3 billion for Nokia’s HERE maps business, which is Google Maps’ main competitor.
Uber is not alone in its attempt to buy the mapping service. Since Nokia revealed their plans of possibly selling its struggling maps division in April, German automakers like Audi, Mercedes, and other market leaders like Facebook have begun a bidding war for the HERE mapping software.
The mobile version of HERE maps was launched late last year for all Android devices (running version 4.1 – Jelly Bean or higher). The iOS version is debuted in March this year. The service is available in 196 countries, with feature including include turn-by-turn walking navigation, offline availability, 3D landmarks, and indoor venue maps for 90,000 buildings in more than 70 countries.
While Nokia may lag behind its major competitors – Google Maps or even Apple Maps, it does have a considerable foothold in the built-in navigation market for automobiles. The company’s official HERE blog reported 6.1 million new cars drove out of the showroom with the maps service on board in the first half of 2014, representing a 25% increase compared to the same period last year.
The HERE mapping service definitely is one the most robust available and could only benefit the company that acquires it, whether it be Uber or another motor / navigation company. Watch this space for more developments on the sale.
Source: New York Times
Follow Jaco on Twitter: @Jaco_vdWalt
