Nokia is
looking to increase use of its mapping software, will unveil a new deal with Oracle Corp.Intended to give Oracle's stable of customers access to Nokia's growing vault of map data and location services.
The deal, set to be announced Monday at the OracleWorld conference in San Francisco, is seen by Nokia executives as a route to significantly expanding Nokia's mapping services, which compete head to head with Google Inc.'s Google Maps.
Oracle, meanwhile, will tout the move as an
easy way for customers to use Nokia's maps to integrate consistent and
broad mapping capabilities into Oracle applications.
The deal was confirmed by a Nokia spokeswoman Sunday.
Nokia has looked to significantly ramp up its location and commerce business following the $8.1 billion acquisition of Navteq in 2007. Starting with a dominant position in the automobile-navigation industry, Nokia has migrated its mapping capabilities into mobile phones and other applications, including a range of Microsoft Corp.products.
Recently, Nokia announced mapping deals with Groupon Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., which dropped Google Maps in favor of Nokia's data. Yahoo also has a deal with Nokia.
Because Oracle largely sells to enterprises, not customers, Nokia's deal could help the Finnish handset maker—which has invested billions of dollars into its location and commerce business—introduce its mapping technology to a new channel of users. Nokia executives see this as an important step in expanding the appeal and capability of its maps.
The Oracle deal comes after an eventful week related to map software. Apple dumped Google Maps to try its own home-grown version, sparking negative consumer response to poor mapping that led to Apple issuing an apology.
Location services represent a growing area of importance for a variety of players in the technology sector that are scrambling to bring together smartphones, cars, cameras, watches, tablets and other devices with location information to enhance social applications. The combination opens a window to new commerce opportunities as advertisers use location information to better pinpoint a potential customer's needs
While the Oracle deal isn't Nokia's biggest partnership, it demonstrates how wide-ranging the demand for maps is.
Nokia Chief Executive Stephen Elop joined the company in 2010 and one of his key objectives was to better utilize the Navteq business. Last year, he brought Navteq together with Nokia's services business and called the division Location & Commerce.
The unit pulled in about $1.2 billion in revenue in 2011, a small fraction of Nokia's annual sales, but Mr. Elop has consistently pointed to the Location & Commerce business as a critical element in the company's future plans.
"We have strong mapping, we have strong navigation capabilities, but those examples are just the tip of the iceberg on what we believe—and you certainly see it from our competitors as well, what they believe—the future holds as it relates to location-based services," Mr. Elop said in a recent interview.
Like Google, Nokia has invested heavily in creating maps capable of helping users navigate even hard-to-reach areas via their smartphone or some other device. Nokia says its maps cover 200 countries.
Via: WSJ
The deal, set to be announced Monday at the OracleWorld conference in San Francisco, is seen by Nokia executives as a route to significantly expanding Nokia's mapping services, which compete head to head with Google Inc.'s Google Maps.
Noting Nokia's History
A timeline of the company since its founding in 1871
The deal was confirmed by a Nokia spokeswoman Sunday.
Nokia has looked to significantly ramp up its location and commerce business following the $8.1 billion acquisition of Navteq in 2007. Starting with a dominant position in the automobile-navigation industry, Nokia has migrated its mapping capabilities into mobile phones and other applications, including a range of Microsoft Corp.products.
Recently, Nokia announced mapping deals with Groupon Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., which dropped Google Maps in favor of Nokia's data. Yahoo also has a deal with Nokia.
Because Oracle largely sells to enterprises, not customers, Nokia's deal could help the Finnish handset maker—which has invested billions of dollars into its location and commerce business—introduce its mapping technology to a new channel of users. Nokia executives see this as an important step in expanding the appeal and capability of its maps.
The Oracle deal comes after an eventful week related to map software. Apple dumped Google Maps to try its own home-grown version, sparking negative consumer response to poor mapping that led to Apple issuing an apology.
Location services represent a growing area of importance for a variety of players in the technology sector that are scrambling to bring together smartphones, cars, cameras, watches, tablets and other devices with location information to enhance social applications. The combination opens a window to new commerce opportunities as advertisers use location information to better pinpoint a potential customer's needs
While the Oracle deal isn't Nokia's biggest partnership, it demonstrates how wide-ranging the demand for maps is.
Nokia Chief Executive Stephen Elop joined the company in 2010 and one of his key objectives was to better utilize the Navteq business. Last year, he brought Navteq together with Nokia's services business and called the division Location & Commerce.
The unit pulled in about $1.2 billion in revenue in 2011, a small fraction of Nokia's annual sales, but Mr. Elop has consistently pointed to the Location & Commerce business as a critical element in the company's future plans.
"We have strong mapping, we have strong navigation capabilities, but those examples are just the tip of the iceberg on what we believe—and you certainly see it from our competitors as well, what they believe—the future holds as it relates to location-based services," Mr. Elop said in a recent interview.
Like Google, Nokia has invested heavily in creating maps capable of helping users navigate even hard-to-reach areas via their smartphone or some other device. Nokia says its maps cover 200 countries.
Via: WSJ
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