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-   -   Audi, BMW and Mercedes to buy Nokia HERE (Mapping Service) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/international-automotive-scene/166321-audi-bmw-mercedes-buy-nokia-here-mapping-service.html)

Audi, BMW and Daimler to Buy Nokia Mapping Serviceclap:
If this is true, then it is music to ears. Here Maps in my Lumia is so accurate and one can download the Maps for any country for free and use them without any data/internet connection. Just imagine all future AVNs preloaded with HERE Maps.

Something looks puzzled is that Nokia selling it for mere 2.7b when they actually bought it for 8.1b.:eek: Microsoft should have bought it along Lumias.

Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-car-makers-audi-bmw-and-daimler-to-buy-nokia-here-1437493575

Cheers!

Vinu

Nokia HERE also got over 50% of BHPian votes in a poll that had 10 map options - related thread. Importantly, it ranked ahead of Google Maps!

I hope the German buyers don't spoil the Nokia HERE maps just like how Microsoft spoiled the Nokia Lumia

Well Microsoft has been making its own moves http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/29/ube.../#.ghdscq:w3z4

This is an interesting one. Uber "weans" itself off Google Maps, and Microsoft gets search revenue and a foot in the game from a non-conventional, but increasingly important, and definitely disruptive force in the automotive world (i.e. Uber). As a strategy, its simply different from the others who are either competing (as this article shows), or cooperating (Android auto, apple auto), or both.

There are multiple forces at play in the "auto" industry. However, at the core of it is a simple question- "Who Owns The Customer?". The car companies thought that they did, but if you let in the Trojan horse of Android Auto into your world, you will probably soon lose all control over your customer, and Google will monetize it all. You will be left as a commoditized provider of a bare-metal transportation platform. Which, of course, a threat the auto industry has woken up to, and is fighting back. This deal for Here maps is part of that, but of course, not the only part.

The next battleground will be over "connected cars". Cars that measure and store your every twitch of the steering, every spot you visit, and not only help you with your planning, but help predict service intervals, foresee possible faults, using predictive analytics and machine learning etc. Hell, whoever "owns" the customer can probably sell your driving telemetry to the insurance companies and help set your premium, as well as help price policies better all around (to the benefit of the insurance companies, of course).

There are many, many possibilities. And these are just the opening shots of a long and interesting strategic game. Watch this space !!

So finally from the horse's mouth.clap:

Read more here : http://company.nokia.com/en/news/pre...eur-28-billion

Cheers!

Vinu

Update

Nokia expects the sale of HERE to automotive industry consortium to close on December 4, 2015.clap:

Nokia today announced that following receipt of all required regulatory approvals, it now expects to complete the sale of HERE to a consortium of leading automotive companies, comprising AUDI AG, BMW Group and Daimler AG, ahead of schedule on December 4, 2015. Nokia earlier expected the transaction to close in the first quarter of 2016.

Source : http://company.nokia.com/en/news/pre...ecember-4-2015

Cheers!

Vinu

Wonder who gets to keep Here Traffic Analytics in a consortium like this.
Last I spoke to a Nokia friend of mine in Helsinki, HERE is being offloaded lock, stock and barrel...including Traffic Analytics. having heard the possibilities of that tool, I can only wish it lives to see another day.

I am not sure which part of this news is surprising because most of the OEM navigation in American Cars (not sure about EU but I wouldn't be surprised) is/was already from Navteq which is now known as HERE.

Nokia is probably trying to sell off the Navigation business & a consortium of auto makers is buying it which would make sense as its in their best interest.

Here Maps are one among the best in business and their off-line options are truly outstanding.

Cheers!

You missed the point, HERE maps are already being used by Major OEMs so this deal is in their own interest. This has little relevance to how good or bad they are.

But not much in Indian context. If Here ends up with these giants, then they will start appearing in lower models and other models of manufacturers whom they have some sort of business tie-ups. Yes the quality of offline mapping matters when driving to remotest areas.

Cheers