Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have announced that they are set to acquire Nokia Corporation’s Here mapping and location services business. The deal, which is reported to be €2.8 billion (RM11.8 billion), brings to an end months of speculation – in May, the consortium was said to be making a bid for the Finnish company’s mapping division.
The automotive trio stated via a statement that the acquisition is intended to secure the long term availability of Here’s products and services as an open, independent and value creating platform for cloud-based maps and other mobility services accessible to all customers from the automotive industry and other sectors.
The three partners will each hold an equal stake in Here, with none of them seeking to acquire a majority interest. Subject to the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities, the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2016.
The automakers add that the acquisition will lay the foundations for the next generation of mobility and location based services, and provide the basis for new assistance systems and ultimately aid in fully autonomous driving.
Extremely precise digital maps will be used in combination with real-time vehicle data in order to increase road safety and to facilitate innovative new products and services. On the basis of the shared raw data, all automobile manufacturers can offer their customers differentiated and brand-specific services.
Here provides mapping and location intelligence for nearly 200 countries in more than 50 languages and is one of the main providers of mapping and location services. It was stated that the company will continue have an independent management and to develop its position as an independent provider of maps and location-based services.
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My favorite offline navigation even without internet works smoothly
I think u never try Sygic / Papago navigation.
for me the best offline – Sygic.
Best live update map – Waze
Most precise map – Google map
Worst of map – Apple map
Papago, as well as other navigation companies use this kinda “cartoonish” illustrations but Here Maps (Nokia Maps) uses more polished ones.
I think you have not tried Sygic / Papago vs Here recently. World changes. Don’t comment based on your previous experience.
With such gigantic automakers behind Here maps, now they’ll probably have the funding they could not get under the Nokia umbrella. Looking forward to good things from them.
I understand why that they need to do this to prevent google and apple from having a duopoly on navigation and content delivery to automobiles.
On the other hand, they must be out of their damn minds if they think they can beat these two behemoths! One doesn’t even have to look far to see what happens when you go up against google or apple. Case in point? Nokia’s handset and software business, anybody remember what happened to Nokia’s Symbian OS?
Common sense dictates that when an elephant and a rhino are charging at each other, you should stay the hell away.
Who says they are doing anything to beat Google or Apple’s services?
These car manufacturers want a GPS system on their cars, and one that is reliable and works consistently.
Also, Apple’s map service is a joke, only Google has a good mapping service, and even that needs online connection for you to use.
Here does not require that so long you keep updating your maps every month or so unless you need to find very specific addresses.
Also, you are mad to be comparing Symbian to Here.
Common sense dictates that these are two completely different services. The only things those two have in common is that they are owned by Nokia.
You lack common sense to see that he was making an example with the symbion. It is true, nokia symbion got killed by apple and Android
Hahaha butthurt Nokia user detected
He’s just pointing out facts. You’re not being clever nor relevant to the topic at hand.
Just because ben is giving a point that really makes sense, you labelled him as butthurt Nokia user.
Apa bodo sgt kau ni? Your judgmental skill serupa itu monyet. Next time decipher betul2 what he’s trying to say.
I’m sorry to inform you that your case study is quite off the mark. Nokia with its Symbian OS was the giant (elephant, rhino, you name it) back then while Apple and Google were mere upstarts. But the times were changing and Nokia was unable to adapt itself quick enough to outdo what Apple and Google were able to produce. In the business of software, it’s the ones with a brilliant, innovative idea and the flexibility to carry it out and adapt to an ever-changing world that are the true champions.
So your common sense, while adequate in real life, is a poor metaphor in this case. The hunters (Apple and Google) challenged the elephant/rhino and drove it out of its home ground.
The same thing that happened to Nokia can happen to Apple and/or Google, if they fail to adapt to the times. Cutthroat. That’s the tech world.
He may be wrong but you sendiri jugak salah. That’s the problem with nokia, they are in the business of handsets and software and they don’t realise that apple and google is in a totally different kind of business which is CONTENT delivery of which apple and google are already Rhino and Elephant in.
Apple and Google are not here to sell you software or handset or in this case a GPS service. Why google and apple are putting their systems and software in the car now? Simple, location based content delivery.
That’s why all of you salah lah!
Please go back to school…I think your karangan terpesong.
He was giving an example purely based on their handset and software services, which I countered in context.
When Apple introduced the iPhone, they effectively entered Nokia territory. So what if Apple and Google are content deliverers? Basically that just made their devices better. Do you expect Nokia to just pull out of the market? I’m sorry la, brader. Your logic needs more elaboration and explanation.
why 2.8bil and not 2.6bil? hehehe..
Learn to read lah….he clearly said in the first paragraph the car makers doing it to prevent duopoly and he is right.
This is one of the best online and offline GPS navigation software I have ever used. The plus point here is that it has a over-the-speed-limit alarm. This is very useful when you are travelling overseas where mobile Internet can be expensive, unavailable when you are in the countryside and also when speed traps are all over.
Best of all, the maps are good. My recent trip to Victoria, Australia was very leisurely with HERE.
Hope it continues to be free.
as far as the app goes, i prefer HERE to Waze.
Waze? I didn’t even bother downloading it..hahaha