Facebook has confirmed it is now using Nokia’s highly-rated Here Maps to power some of its apps, as rumours suggest a potential acquisition of the service is in the offing.
TechCrunch has received word from the social network that Nokia Here Maps have been incorporated into the Facebook mobile web app, while it is also being tested within Instagram and Messenger.
The partnership isn’t being announced by either company, but spokespeople from both firms have affirmed the alliance.
The Facebook representative said: “
Meanwhile, the Here rep wrote: “We’re excited that our maps can be enjoyed by Facebook users.”
The news comes as Facebook is linked with a deal to buy the Here Maps for upwards of $2 billion. As the value of the service continues to trend up, Nokia could end up getting almost as much for the Maps as Microsoft paid for the devices division last year.
Read more: Nokia N1 tablet vs Google Nexus 9
Other companies linked with interest in Here Maps are Uber, Yahoo, Samsung and Apple. All have their reasons, but one would assume Facebook has the most to gain by acquiring its own highly-rated mapping platform.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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