Nokia snaps up location firm MetaCarta

Nokia continued its string of small acquisitions with the purchase of location technology firm MetaCarta, explaining the deal will allow it to expand its local search capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

MetaCarta, based in Cambridge, Mass., is a private company that employs around 30 people. The company's technology helps merge content and mapping solutions. For example, its technology allows users to find content and other information about a place and presents it in a single view.

Nokia has made expanding its services business a key strategic imperative for 2010. In a recent interview with GigaOM, Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said location-based services is an area he is excited about. "Location is not an app, instead it adds a whole new dimension and value to the Internet," he said. "Putting location elements into different type of services is a big opportunity, which makes the Internet more exciting."

The world's largest handset maker also said it completed its acquisition of browser firm Novarra, which it acquired in late March. Nokia said it will use Novarra's Web browsing technology on its low-end Series 40 handsets, and will introduce "a new service offering utilizing the Novarra technology platform" sometime later this year.

For more:
- see this Reuters article
- see this IDG News Service article
- see this AP article

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