(Photo: REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo)
The issue between the US government and Huawei has mellowed down so far. However, the Chinese tech and telecom giant is still banned from using many US apps crucial to smartphones. Now that Huawei is restricted from pre-installing Google apps, it opts to tap Dutch mapping company TomTom for its maps service.
Following Huawei's blacklisting last year, it was forced to create its own operating system for smartphones. The US government's move includes prohibiting the Chinese tech giant from using Google's official Android OS, along with other Google apps on its new smartphones. Last Friday, Huawei inked a deal with TomTom, a Dutch navigation firm, so it could use its maps and services for its upcoming product releases, reports Reuters.
Tomtom has been specializing in navigation devices and services for over a couple of decades now. The partnership is heaven-sent to Huawei, which happened just at the time that TomTom decided to focus on selling services and licensing software. More so, the Huawei US Entity List blacklist does not apply to the firm.
The Dutch firm still has its own apps on both Android and iOS. The deal, according to Reuters, involves the Chinese company building its own apps using navigation tools, maps, and traffic information of TomTom. The Dutch company previously supplied Apple with its data that the Cupertino company used for its Apple Maps.
Earlier reports revealed that Huawei is creating a mapping system called Map Kit. The particular software was intended for developers, according to The Verge. Additionally, it could utilize data from Huawei and even from the Russian firm Yandex.
The latest deal with TomTom could mean that Huawei has put the Map Kit on hold. It could also mean it is looking at other technology for its short-term goals. Huawei has signed a deal with TomTom, confirmed by a Huawei spokesman to Reuters.
Meanwhile, a TomTom spokesperson shared that through the developer portal of Huawei, developers can now use Maps APIs, traffic services, and map content of the company, reports Business Insider. A week ago, Huawei revealed the $26 million App Gallery fund for Irish and British developers.
The Huawei US blacklisting is not good for Google. Several reports claim that the search engine giant has been lobbying Washington since last summer for a potential exemption to the trade ban. But, since its business, as usual, Huawei has no choice but to set up its own app ecosystem. Huawei has yet to announce the deal with TomTom and its details officially.
