Yahoo! Maps Now Powered by Nokia

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Yahoo! has been outsourcing services to other companies, in an effort to cut costs and bolster partnerships. Yahoo! has recently relaunched its maps application, now powered by Nokia.

Nokia may have been slipping in its position in the smartphone market. But recent partnerships with other major players like Microsoft and Yahoo! are ensuring that Nokia remains relevant in the tech industry. Recently, Yahoo! has switched over to Nokia in its mapping application, which results in some marginal improvement in the way Yahoo! delivers mapping and navigation, according to Search Engine Land.

This is an initial launch, and the new Yahoo! maps may not exactly be exciting in terms of user experience, user interface and even appearance. While the interface is similar to that of Nokia’s own OVI maps application, there are some differences, and Yahoo!’s version is said to be more refined. The mapping application features a location search, business search and directions.

However, the question here is whether Yahoo! maps will be a serious contender to Google Maps, which comes with a wide variety of applications, like business search, transit navigation, and even a check-in feature in Latitude. Google’s advantage is also its integration with other applications through API. Nokia may have a niche market with OVI maps for its mobile phones. But will a partnership with Yahoo! and even with Bing Maps help improve Nokia’s share in the online mapping market?