Nokia has rebranded its mapping and location business as HERE, describing it as “the first location cloud to deliver the world’s best maps and location experiences across multiple screens and operating systems”.
One of the first HERE products for non-Nokia devices will be a free HTML5-based maps application for iOS, which is expected to be available in the next few weeks. The company will also be working with Mozilla to bring a mobile version of HERE Maps to the Firefox OS.
In addition, a software development kit in early 2013 will enable Android developers to use HERE in their mobile apps.
Stephen Elop, Nokia’s President and CEO, said “People want great maps, and with HERE we can bring together Nokia’s location offering to deliver people a better way to explore, discover and share their world. Additionally, with HERE we can extend our 20 years of location expertise to new devices and operating systems that reach beyond Nokia. As a result, we believe that more people benefit from and contribute to our leading mapping and location service.”
Nokia says it aims to acquire earthmine, a California-based company that specialises in 3D street-level mapping, to become part of HERE’s 3D map making capabilities. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of this year.