14 DAY TRIAL // Good news for HERE maps fans, as Nokia and Facebook have silently partnered to bring the Finnish company's maps services on mobile, Instagram and Messenger.
Although the partnership between the two companies hasn't been officially announced yet, the information was confirmed by Facebook earlier today.
“We are testing Nokia HERE maps across Facebook to give us more control and flexibility in delivering a consistent maps experience. I can confirm that we’re testing HERE maps in Android versions of some of our standalone apps like Instagram and Messenger as well,” a Facebook spokesperson said in an email to TechCrunch.
In addition, a HERE representative who prefers to remain anonymous also stated that his company was “excited that our maps can be enjoyed by Facebook users.”
According to reliable sources close to the matter, Facebook will use HERE geocoding as well, not just the maps that now appear in the applications.
This is meant to provide a huge amount of specific place data to Facebook and users when tagging a location in either Instagram, Messenger on in the Facebook applications.
Facebook for Android and iOS apps don't use HERE maps yet
HERE maps aren't yet available in Facebook for Android or iOS, but it's now being tested on the company's mobile website that can be accessed via browser.
The information comes as a surprise since recent rumors claimed Nokia is looking to get rid of its HERE maps division. Among the potential buyers, Facebook was mentioned along with other big companies like Samsung, Baidu, Alibaba, Yahoo, as well as Apple.
For the time being, no other information on the HERE possible sale has emerged, instead the Finnish company is now doing business with Facebook, one of the potential buyers of its maps service.
We expect Facebook and Nokia to make the partnership official once the tests are finished. It's still unclear though whether or not the collaboration will expand to Facebook for Android and iOS as well, so stay tuned.