Grab partners with online maps provider that rivals Google Maps

One of Here’s mapping cars in Berkeley, California. Photo credit: Here is exploring navigation for autonomous cars, drones, and other robotics applications.

In 2014, the app became available on Android as well – arguably the only online maps out there that could match Google Maps for accuracy and features at the time. It came to iOS a year later.

In 2015, Nokia sold Here to a consortium of automakers comprising BMW, Mercedes, and Audi for US$2.9 billion. Chinese digital mapping company NavInfo, Tencent, and Singaporean sovereign fund GIC share a 10 percent stake in the company since last year, while Intel acquired a 15 percent stake in January, according to Reuters.

Here chief executive Edzard Overbeek told the news agency last week that the company is exploring navigation for driverless cars but also autonomous drones and other robotics applications.

Last year, Grab collaborated with autonomous vehicle company Nutonomy on potential driverless rides, although there hasn’t been much news on that front lately.

Grab competitor Uber used Google Maps APIs for its app, briefly switching to a different provider before returning to Google’s system. But the US company has been building its own tech, complete with mapping tech-equipped cars, in order to reduce its dependence on external tools.

“Southeast Asia is developing quickly, with new roads and new rules emerging every day. By layering local map data on top of Here’s comprehensive location data, we can optimize driver-passenger interactions and further streamline our backend dispatch systems,” says Grab head of product Jerald Singh.

“We look forward to helping Grab streamline pick-up and drop-off processes, provide reliable ETAs, and ultimately improve traffic management in under-serviced cities like Yangon,” adds Mark Whitmore, director of Here Asia-Pacific.