Uber has allegedly made a $3 billion (£1.9 billion) bid for Nokia's digital mapping service, Here, which could not only aid its drivers in future but expand the global taxi and delivery company into new areas.
Nokia previously confirmed that a sale of Here Maps could be on the cards, having admitted such when it announced that it was to buy network technology firm Alcatel. It was suggested that the sale of Here could partly pay for the Finnish company's own acquisition - a separate deal priced at around $17.5 billion.
Now, according to sources of the New York Times, Uber is hoping to capitalise on Nokia's restructuring plans in purchasing one of the world's most foremost mapping services. Here currently supplies around 80 per cent of the world's in-car satnavs with data.
Uber currently uses a selection of mapping services for its drivers, including Google Maps and Apple's data, but a deal here could see the company replace or upgrade the GPS navigation systems in its entire global fleet with Here-driven software. This would allow it to customise and tailor applications to its specific needs, even using its worldwide fleet to help improve map data, including up-to-the-minute events for other drivers to see.
This shifting, changing information could help drivers navigate around instant issues, such as traffic accidents, and therefore help get you to your destination more quickly.
In addition, the New York Times suggests that the geospatial data that pairs riders with drivers in the immediate area could be improved through in-house software, thereby getting cars to you more quickly wherever you are.
The company has acquired a mapping software developer before, deCarta, so has already set its sights on developing its own systems in the past.
Uber isn't the only buyer interested in the mapping service, however. A German consortium of car manufacturers, including BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, has teamed with Chinese search engine giant Baidu to reportedly make a rival bid. As has an undisclosed private equity firm.
Nokia is expected to announce the sale by the end of May.
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