Uber partners with TomTom after failing to acquire Nokia’s maps

Uber will begin using mapping data from the navigation company TomTom, under a partnership announced Thursday. Under the multi-year deal, the San Francisco-based ride-hailing service will license TomTom’s maps and traffic data for use in its smartphone app. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Uber has made a concerted effort to expand its mapping capabilities in recent months. Earlier this year, the company offered $3 billion for Nokia’s mapping business, before it was eventually sold to a consortium of German car makers. Uber has also acquired mapping technology and talent from Microsoft, and has begun using Microsoft’s fleet of Bing cars to gather street-level imagery, much like Google’s Street View.

Mapping data will also be important for Uber’s ongoing efforts to develop self-driving cars. In May, the company acquired top robotics talent from Carnegie Mellon University to work on autonomous vehicles, and has leased a 53,000-square foot facility in Pittsburgh to carry out the research.