Huawei to replace Google Maps with TomTom

Although matters have been quieter on that front, Huawei remains barred from accessing many US products critical to its smartphone business. It has not stopped trying to look for key apps and services to replace its dependence on Google’s popular software. The latest piece to be replaced is Google Maps which has now become the go-to service for location and navigation and the Chinese OEM has just closed a deal with Dutch mapping company TomTom exactly for that purpose.

Of all the parts of Android that Huawei is banned from using, Maps is perhaps one of the easiest to replace, mostly because there is no shortage of mapping and navigation companies that offer similar functionality, some of them located outside the US’ direct control. That said, Google Maps has the advantage of a wealth of data, deep integration with Android, and, of course, partnerships with businesses.

Fortunately for Huawei, TomTom isn’t just a new player in that field, having specialized in navigation services and devices for more than two decades now. This partnership is almost providential just as TomTom decided to shift its focus away from hardware and into licensing software and selling services. And even better, it isn’t affected by the US Entity List ban on Huawei.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch navigation and digital mapping company TomTom on Friday said it has closed a deal with China’s Huawei Technologies for the use of its maps and services in smartphone apps.

Huawei was forced to develop its own operating system for smartphones, after it was effectively blacklisted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration last year out of concerns over national security.

This banned Huawei from using Google’s official Android operating system, along with widely used apps such as Google Maps, in new phones.

The deal with TomTom means Huawei can now use the Dutch company’s maps, traffic information and navigation software to develop apps for its smartphones.

TomTom spokesman Remco Meerstra said the deal had been closed some time ago but had not been made public by the company.

Meerstra declined to provide further details of the agreement.

TomTom, which is moving away from selling devices to offering software services, sold its telematics division to Japan’s Bridgestone last year to focus on its digital map-linked businesses.