Electronics company Samsung has announced that it has teamed up with Nokia to launch map software that will be made available on its handheld devices.
The deal will see Samsung handsets able to download a beta version of the Here maps service, which covers 190 countries and allows users to utilise an offline navigation tool without the need to store a large amount of data, as well as accessing tourist information such as public transport details.
Here was originally marketed as Nokia Maps, but was not acquired by Microsoft during its purchase of the company’s ‘devices and services’ divisions in 2013.
This move was announced on Nokia’s blog, which stated that the service will be made available to selected models of Samsung devices; this means that owners of a Samsung Gear S smartwatch will be able to sync routes and switch between watch and phone.
The integration of Here maps with Samsung devices shows that there is a clear strategy set by the company to attempt to overtake the popular Google Maps, a service created by the American search company that oversees Android.
As part of its marketing strategy, Here offers features, such as Glympse, that are not available on rival apps. This particular facility allows users to share their current location with their friends.
Here is the service of choice for companies such as Amazon and Yahoo, and provides the mapping data for Microsoft’s search engine Bing, which is being used more by SEO companies. The tool will be available to Samsung devices following the release of the Gear S smartwatch, although that date has yet to be set.
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