Nokia acquires bit-side

29 Jan 2009

Nokia has signed an agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of German professional services and software company, bit-side to strengthen and accelerate Nokia's mobile development for Nokia Maps.

To be completed in the first quarter of 2009, the transaction will integrate bit-side into Nokia's Services unit.

Michael Halbherr, Nokia's vice president of social location, said: "Acquiring bit-side enables Nokia to offer consumers mobile location applications, such as maps, routing and navigation at an accelerated speed."

Believing that context plays a pivotal role in evolution of the Internet, Nokia is building the ability for people to always know where they are and what is around them, and to know where their friends are, what they're doing and how they're feeling. Nokia calls this "social location".

According to managing director & partner of bit-side, Thom Brenner, their small team has brought many innovative mobile products to life, and being part of Nokia will be like a catalyst to this. "We share Nokia's visions on social and location-related services and the future of their enabling technologies", he added.