Rumors have been circulating these past few weeks which suggest that Nokia is interested in selling off its HERE mapping service. The list of potential buyers that the company is reportedly considering consists almost entirely of the big boys of the tech industry, but Apple may be Nokia’s primary target. According to a recent report, the company is trying to sell HERE to Apple for a little over $3 billion.
A report on Wednesday claims Apple is among a number of high-profile tech companies being courted by Nokia in the Finnish firm’s attempt to sell off its HERE mapping service and related assets. Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports Nokia’s list of potential buyers reads like a who’s who of the tech industry, and includes Apple, Amazon, Alibaba, Baidu, Facebook, Sirius XM and Harman International, as well as German automakers and private holdings firms. The person said Nokia is seeking more than 3 billion euros (roughly $3.2 billion) for HERE’s mapping assets despite the cache being valued at $2.14 billion last year. Nokia’s investment in HERE’s technology, including those got through acquisitions like NAVTEQ, was pegged at $8.1 billion in 2008, the publication said. It is unclear when Nokia is to officially put HERE up for bid, but Bloomberg reported earlier in April that the company is working with a financial advisor toward that goal.
