hree top German automakers are considered to be the top final possible aquirers of Nokia’s HERE maps business. We’re talking about Audi AG, BMW AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz in the race to get Nokia’s successful mapping and location businesses.
Nokia, which has decided to sell its HERE mapping solution, seems to have reached an impasse in terms of discussion over the app’s acquisition because of price and structure issues. With Uber not showing interest anymore in buying the software, the auto trio does not feel pressured to make high offers and fight over who is getting and how fast they’re getting Nokia’s HERE, which is evaluated by analysts from 2 to 4 billion Euros. The three German premium car manufacturers are not the only ones interested in buying HERE. According to Automotive News Europe, there is also a consortium that includes Uber and China-based Baidu and also a group led by Tencent, which is an online media company in China and a social network.
It will be a delicate situation for Audi and BMW if one of these automakers acquires HERE in the face of Baidu, as both of the German car producers have current deals with the Chinese company concerning map data and autonomous car development in China. HERE, formerly known as Ovi Maps from 2007 to 2011 and Nokia Maps from 2011 to 2012, is a business unit that concentrates Nokia’s mapping and location businesses under one sole brand. Its technology relies on a cloud-computing model where data and services are stored on remote servers users can access regardless of the device they choose to use.