Nokia’s HERE Maps for Facebook on Mobile, Instagram and Messenger

It’s not exactly strange to see HERE or Nokia on a Facebook related product. Afterall, Facebook has for some time been using the Microsoft mapping which then uses Nokia HERE Data.

HERE however is expanding to Facebook owned Instagram and Messenger (which I’m guessing should later move to Whatsapp as well) apps.

Speaking to TechCrunch, a Facebook spokesperson said:

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.

Someone from HERE says they’re happy that their maps can be enjoyed by Facebook users.

Facebook wants to know everything about you. Location is a critical aspect of its business. Owning something like HERE would give them even more control as well as ammunition against big G for that all valuable user data. It could be a sign of things to come (i.e. Facebook purchase) or just another HERE deal.

Check out this interesting article TC linked to regarding earlier discussions between Nokia and Facebook on expanding facebook on mobile back in 2009.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123439645252474935

Under one alternative, contact information stored in Facebook would be integrated with the phone’s address book: When users looked up a contact, they could see whether their Facebook friends were logged on, send them messages and post comments on their profile pages.

That seems like such a standard thing you’d expect now. It was still a cool thing to see on WindowsPhone 7 – remember how cool People Hub was with its Facebook Integration? A bit of a supercharged WebOS contacts thingy. Now everyone who is on facebook is always checking Facebook mobile. MySpace gets a mention too. How times change. And now Nokia is not only no longer the number 1 mobile giant but kinda out of the mobile consumer space.

Source: TC

Cheers Alvester for the tip!

Category: Nokia