Nokia promises to keep HERE Maps functional on Windows Phone

Earlier this month Nokia announced that it will be launching its HERE maps service on Android and iOS platforms. No longer tied to the Windows Phone platform, a few reports from earlier this week claimed that Nokia was planning to ditch Microsoft’s platform for its mapping service, and put all its energy on platforms that are much more successful.

But a Nokia spokesperson has now squashed such claims, and confirmed that Nokia will not be closing its mapping service on Windows Phone, ZDNet reports. “HERE is powering Windows Phone and that’s not going to change,” a Nokia spokesperson said in an emailed statement to ZDNet. “Microsoft entered a license agreement with HERE to use our mapping platform for at least four years. This is why you see HERE maps on Windows Phone not only in the HERE apps but also in the Facebook app, in the Foursquare app, in the Instagram app and many more, even in the Uber app,” the spokesperson said.

Nokia confirmed that none of the features, including offline maps, will be removed from HERE’s Windows Phone client. However, at the same time, the Finnish technology company did say that Windows Phone isn’t its top priority anymore. “We used to develop for ‘Windows Phone first,’ the spokesperson noted, but “now all OS(es) are equal.”

HERE mapping service is part of Nokia’s network division that the company didn’t sell to Microsoft. Now that it is independent, the company can develop its products and services for platforms including and especially ones that are not run by Microsoft. Earlier this month, Nokia inked a deal with Samsung to bring its HERE mapping service to Galaxy S5 (Android-based smartphone), and Tizen-based smartwatches. The company is expected to launch HERE maps for Android and iOS later this year.