Nokia Here Maps is up for sale and companies like Uber are quickly jumping at the opportunity by bidding for Nokia Maps against well-known automakers. Sources state that Uber, the ride sharing company, has already put down a $3 billion dollar bid for the mapping software.
Nokia put its Here Maps software up for sale in April. Currently, it is considered the biggest competitor for Google Maps. Sources state that many are apparently interested in bidding for Here Maps because the Nokia mapping service has an 80% share of the market when it comes to built-in car GPS navigation services.
Bidding for Nokia Maps Includes Many Different Companies
Car companies Audi, Mercedes Benz and BMW, as well as Baidu, a Chinese search engine, have also begun bidding for Nokia Maps. Even Facebook has put in a bid for the software.
If Uber comes out on top, it would no longer have to rely on Google Maps. They could build up their own mapping service, thus optimizing their UberPool service as well.
Bidding for Nokia Maps: Why is it So Valuable?
The bidding for Nokia Maps software has sparked an intense rivalry between big shot companies. But why exactly is it so valuable?
Firstly, itt is a well known app for those who travel often and is frequently updated by Nokia. Nokia has spent millions of dollars in order to do so and to create a huge database; it is alsoconsidered by the Wall Street Journal to be the most technically advanced digital mapping service.
In addition, it is seen as the sole competitor against Google Maps or Apple Maps. If either of those companies were to successful win the bidding war for Nokia Maps, they would essentially have a monopoly on the mapping market. It is also a hot commodity for those companies that are designing automatically driving vehicles, mainly because it would allow them to install the service into their driverless cars.
The bidding for Nokia Maps is going on this month and right now, the top bidder is Uber at $3 billion. The outcome should be known soon and is highly awaited in today’s highly competitive map app scene.
