Facebook and a group of German car makers are among several companies to have shown interest in acquiring Nokia’s mapping business Here, it emerged on Wednesday.
An unnamed source cited by Germany’s Manager Magazin claimed that the world’s largest social network and taxi booking app maker Uber have pored over Here’s books. U.S. private equity firm Hellman & Friedman is also said to have shown interest.
Here’s future is up for discussion after Nokia last week announced a strategic review of its mapping and location business, which it values at around €2 billion. The disclosure was made the same day that Nokia agreed to acquire major rival Alcatel-Lucent in a deal worth €15.6 billion.
According to Manager Magazin, Nokia has also drawn interest from car makers Audi, BMW, and Daimler.
The fact that a number of companies are keen on potentially acquiring Here should serve as a warning to Nokia not to sell it, as far as some industry watchers are concerned.
Radio Free Mobile founder Richard Windsor noted last week that Here may benefit from the fact that Google’s mapping deals with various companies are due to expire.
"Many customers now view Google as a competitor and I think would welcome an independent supplier of mapping data," he said. "Much of this opportunity still lies in front of Here."
Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri also recently talked up the synergies between Here’s technology and his company’s networks division.
In March he presented a new predictive marketing solution that brings together the capabilities of the networks and mapping businesses, describing it as "a small taste of what the renewed Nokia…can do."
