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BMW, Audi, and Mercedes Want to Buy Nokia's Here Mapping Group

posted by CoolHand on Thursday May 07 2015, @10:12PM   Printer-friendly
from the battle-of-the-corporate-giants dept.

sigma writes:

In a move that could backfire badly, car manufacturers are working together to buy control of Nokia maps with the intent of blocking Google's development of software for self-driving vehicles. The auto-makers consider open sourced autonomous vehicles to be an existential threat to their existing business, and are prepared to pay Nokia more than two billion dollars to stymie the disruptive technology.

“The greatest threat to the automobile industry would be if Google developed an operating system for self-driving cars and made it available free to everyone,” said one source speaking with the WSJ.

http://jalopnik.com/bmw-audi-and-mercedes-benz-want-to-buy-nokia-s-maps-t-1702660909

 
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  • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday May 07 2015, @11:13PM

    by kaszz (4211) on Thursday May 07 2015, @11:13PM (#180097) Journal

    So what's so special about Nokia's Here Mapping Group?

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by frojack on Thursday May 07 2015, @11:40PM

    by frojack (1554) on Thursday May 07 2015, @11:40PM (#180099) Journal

    The life blood of Garmin, Tom Tom, Magellan, etc, etc, as well as many car In-Dash Nav systems.
    Nokia was the big dog in mapping till google started sending street-view cars all over the world.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by FatPhil on Friday May 08 2015, @07:03AM

      by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Friday May 08 2015, @07:03AM (#180223) Homepage
      Don't give Nokia any credit - they simply bought NAVTEQ. NAVTEQ was already in Garmin before Nokia even knew they needed maps ("many years" before 2007 according to http://www8.garmin.com/pressroom/corporate/111607.html ) Note that TomTom bought up Tele Atlas, which was NAVTEQ's competitor, at about the same time. However, NAVTEQ also powers Bing and Yahoo maps, it is indeed a big mover in the field.
      --
      Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves

      • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday May 08 2015, @09:40AM

        by kaszz (4211) on Friday May 08 2015, @09:40AM (#180252) Journal

        So Google can just partner with TomTom and be done with it? Doesn't seem like Nokia HMG is that special. On top of this Google has their own maps?
        It ought to be how mapping data can be used. Not the mapping data itself. Which probably can be recreated as necessary and is only a cost and time barrier. Not something that would hinder Google.

  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 07 2015, @11:47PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 07 2015, @11:47PM (#180101)
    There are only a few serious providers of globally comprehensive GIS data in the world, and Nokia's has a reputation for being one of the best there is. Remember the trouble Apple had after losing Google Maps on iOS? That's the similar bind the automotive companies are trying to keep themselves from being caught in.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 08 2015, @03:45AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 08 2015, @03:45AM (#180179)

    My guess is that they have a patent portfolio.

    "A method to describe a route to a location ON A COMPUTER"

    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by anubi on Friday May 08 2015, @06:42AM

      by anubi (2828) on Friday May 08 2015, @06:42AM (#180216) Journal

      Following is a layman's rant on the idea of patenting...

      There should be no patent on the CONCEPT of skinning a cat; however a particular METHOD of skinning a cat could be patented. If you want to do it "on a computer", then the exact placement of the cat on the machine and exact tool used to skin the cat can be claimed.

      However, I guess one could find an infinite number of ways to skin a cat on a computer.

      I am getting so fed up with these "blanket" patents that are so broad that even having a cat next to a computer is a violation.

      If Nokia wants to make maps, fine. If Google wants to follow around and make maps too, fine. To me, this is just a McDonalds vs. Burger King thing.

      And that's what I would say should I find myself ever in a jury regarding these matters.

      I look forward to seeing what Google can do with their autonomous cars. I hope they succeed. We already have way too many humans driving cars not paying due attention.

      This patent litigation stuff is just going too far when the patent system is just used to throw stumbling blocks at others trying to get something done. I certainly cannot see anything Google or Here Mapping Group has done that is all that unique, however I would consider the databases they assembled to be their property and they should be able to share them on whatever terms they wish to negotiate.

      --
      "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 08 2015, @05:34AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 08 2015, @05:34AM (#180199)

    Nothing, it's just part of the quickly disintegrating Nokia carcass...

    If you want to be wow'd by a map, look at the OpenStreetMap project.