Nokia’s former mapping unit Here has announced its ambition to collect and process as much location data as possible in a bid to improve transportation and usher in autonomous driving.
Nokia completed the sale of Here to a group of German car makers – Audi BMW and Daimler – last Friday, ne tting the vendor €2.55 billion. With the backing of its new parents, Here reiterated that it will operate independently and provide open access to its products and services.
"Maps have historically been abstractions of reality by necessity. They need to simplify. People need not know every inch of the territory to get from A to B," said Here, in a blog post on Monday. "But what if map data is not only designed for direct consumption by people, but also to be read by machines capable of processing vast quantities of information?"
Here said it intends to collect location and contextual data from as many sources as possible, including anonymised sensor data from connected cars starting with those made by its new owners. It will then turn it into relevant insights for end users.
It has set its sights on four areas: smarter urban mobility; intelligent public transport services; tools for enterprises and governments; and enabling increasingly automated, and, ultimately, fully autonomous driving.
To help Here pursue this strategy, the company said is open to strategic partnerships and acquisitions, as well as organic growth. It is also open to other investors.
"The map is evolving into a live representation of the world, giving us a second-by-second view of our cities and road networks," said Sean Fernback, president of Here, in a statement.
"Now we have the backing of three automotive companies which share our view that this map will be life-changing for people: it will power location services that improve mobility for people and enterprises, make driving safer and more enjoyable, and reduce emissions," he said.
