Nokia/Navteq to Power Yahoo! Maps

One of the aspects of the newly announced strategic partnership between Nokia and Yahoo! is that Yahoo! Maps will now be “powered by Ovi.” Ovi Maps is of course Navteq.

Here’s what the press materials said:

Nokia will be the exclusive, global provider of Yahoo!’s maps and navigation services, integrating Ovi Maps across Yahoo! properties, branded as “powered by Ovi.”

While this is consistent with Yahoo!’s efforts to outsource expensive/complex technology problems to others, in this case it solves a problem for the company. Originally Yahoo!  had been the leader in interactive mapping. Then Google and later Microsoft started pumping millions into developing their mapping products and Yahoo! consciously stopped investing. That was a blow to Yahoo! and Yahoo! Local.

This partnership will give Yahoo! high quality mapping and routing and maybe more. It won’t solve the “street level photography” issue for Yahoo! however. Apparently monetization and advertising is a TBD aspect of the deal.

I’m sure this will also be leveraged by Yahoo! in mobile and local search on mobile devices.