Facebook has reportedly entered into a deal with Nokia to use its mapping and location service Here on its social applications. Though not yet official, Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch that it is indeed happening. The move will see Here power maps and location services on Instagram and Messenger (currently under testing) and probably in the future also on Facebook’s main Android and iOS applications. As of now, Here is already at work on the mobile version of Facebook’s website.
Here has been making inroads and quickly replacing Google’s Maps application as the default mapping service. The Here application launched on Android last year where it currently boasts of over a million installs. Samsung is using here on its Tizen devices, Mozilla is using the same on its Firefox OS smartphones, Finland’s Jolla adopted Here for its Sailfish OS while other big companies like Amazon, Yahoo and Microsoft have for long depended on Nokia’s mapping solution.
This turn of events mans Facebook is now a front-runner in the race to buy Here from Nokia. Nokia has not hidden its intentions about selling Here and companies like Samsung, Alibaba, Uber, Yahoo and others are said to have interest in acquiring it.
Source: TechCrunch
