Baidu Partners With Nokia Here To Provide Location Services Outside China

Baidu will be joining hands with Nokia Here maps for its mobile and desktop map services outside of China. Nokia Here will improve Baidu's location services support for Chinese users who plan overseas trips ahead of time.

The deal will allow Baidu's desktop and mobile apps to use Here services for geographies outside mainland China. Taiwan is the first country where Baidu will offer services in partnership with Here, and other "countries or territories to follow at a later stage," Nokia Here unit said in a statement. 

"Every day, millions of people count on HERE to explore the world and discover new places whether at home or on the go," said Bruno Bourguet, SVP and Head of Sales, HERE. "Together with Baidu, a new customer for us, we want to help the growing number of Chinese tourists get the most from their travels."

According to reports, Baidu will be the first Chinese company to offer location based services to users outside the country. 

Baidu has been exploring to expand its business beyond China. The company recently expanded its services to non-Chinese markets such as Thailand and Brazil. 

Nokia also announced a wider launch for its Here maps beta for Android. The app is available worldwide and can be downloaded from form the Google Play Store. Nokia also said that the Here team is working on an iOS version which it plans to launch in 2015.