“HERE is once again in pole position, widening the gap with Google” – Omdia

Mitsubishi Corporation and NTT’s investment in HERE highlight company’s industry strength and global appeal

Business and industry analysts at Omdia have placed HERE Technologies on top of their most recent Location Platform Index. The company overtook Google in the 2018 and 2019 Indexes, and this year Omdia extended the lead for HERE based on the core geospatial capabilities of its location platform and market reach for users.

The Omdia Location Platform Index, June 2020, assesses the 12 leading global providers of location data and services including Google, Mapbox, TomTom and Telenav. Omdia describes the strengths of HERE that include its developer reach and partner network, particularly in Asia with Mitsubushi Corp. and Japan’s largest telecom provider, NTT, now as equity investors in HERE.

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According to Omdia, the index evaluates vendors on two main criteria: the completeness of their platform and its market reach. Both components play an equal role in determining the final rank. The index considers not only the core capabilities of a location platform but also the data and capabilities that the platform opens up to developers and the wider location community. The index provides an overview of the market and assesses the relative strengths and weaknesses of the major players.

In this year’s Index, Omdia points to various partnerships and usage of HERE data and services in verticals outside the company’s traditional automotive business. The analysts underline the significance of Mitsubishi Corp. and NTT’s 30% ownership stake in HERE, with announced strategic collaborations in freight, logistics and retail.

“HERE is known for its strong position in the automotive industry and its prowess in HD mapping and ADAS. But what is perhaps less conspicuous is the progress HERE is making in other verticals including logistics, telecommunications, retail and media,” said Eden Zoller, Omdia Chief Analyst.

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“More than ever, the use of location data and technology is accelerating across industries and markets,” said Edzard Overbeek, CEO at HERE Technologies. “We are motivated by Omdia’s independent voice describing the need for a truly open environment and global location platform. Alongside our new customers, partners and investors, it’s an exciting time to deploy location intelligence to solve multiple challenges, from tackling urban congestion to strengthening supply chain visibility, logistics and critical middle and last mile delivery services.”

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The HERE Marketplace’s growing customer base was also highlighted in this year’s index, along with its novel data exchange and enrichment capabilities. The Omdia analysts go on to highlight the top ranking by: Verizon and HERE teaming up to improve road safety by marrying 5G network capabilities with 3D maps and HERE Live Sense SDK’s front-facing camera technology; the introduction of HERE Geodata Models to lower the costs associated with building 5G networks; and the launch of the HERE Last Mile solution for the transportation and logistics industry.

During these challenging economic times, the analysts make special note of the various ways location technology, and the companies ranked in the Index, are supporting COVID-19 relief efforts. This includes Enel X and HERE partnering to provide Italian governmental agencies with mobility indicators to analyze the impact of COVID-19 containment measures, and the the employee-built HERE WeGo Deliver, a free planning and delivery tool for small-to-medium sized enterprises.

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