Uber wants to buy Nokia’s HERE mapping and location business.
The New York Times reported Thursday that the ride-hailing service submitted a $3 billion bid to purchase HERE, a competitor of Google Maps, which Uber currently uses on its platform.
The Times notes several other bidders for HERE, including a group of German automakers that is reportedly teaming with Chinese search engine Baidu on an offer.
Last month, Nokia said it has begun “a review of strategic options, including a potential divestment” for HERE, one of the three major businesses that remain part of Nokia following Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s smartphone business.
HERE has a substantial presence in the Seattle region following its acquisition of Medio Systems last year. Microsoft agreed to a long-term license of the HERE technology as part of its Nokia deal.
While Google Maps has substantially more users, the Times reported that HERE has an 80 percent market share for built-in car navigation systems and has 6,000 employees making nearly 3 million daily updates to the mapping software.
Uber, meanwhile, received a $258 million investment from Google’s venture arm in 2013. But the company seems to be distancing itself from the search giant, announcing its own driverless car technology research center in February and acquiring mapping software company deCarta in March.
