Nokia Buys Social Network Service Plazes
ADOTAS – Cell phone-maker Nokia has snapped up Berlin-based Plazes, a geographically based social network, in a push to expand its Internet service offerings. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
“This acquisition helps Nokia to accelerate its vision of bringing people and places closer together, in line with our broader services strategy,” Niklas Savander, the head of Nokia’s Internet services, said in a written statement.
More and more mobile phones are being equipped with technology that allows consumers to pinpoint their locations through cell triangulation and GPS and Plazes has been trying to utilize the potential of such services for its social network, so it’s a smart, symbiotic move for both companies. Nokia will roll out several mobile phones this year that offer the service.
But is Nokia playing industry catch-up? Zyb, also a European mobile social network, was snapped up by Vodafone last month.
The cell-phone company has been busy lately: it also acquired Gate5, a mapping system, which it turned into Nokia Maps and in October of 2007, it purchased digital mapping company Navteq.
Plazes launched in 2005. Its staff of 13 will remain in Berlin.
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