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Once Pro-Microsoft, Here Maps Drops Support For Windows 10, Windows Phone (here.com)

Posted by msmash on from the feels dept.

An anonymous reader points us to a blog post at Here website: Here Maps has announced that it will be pulling its mapping and navigation service from the Windows 10 store on March 29, 2016. The parent company, Here, also announced that it will limit the development of the apps for Windows Phone 8 to critical bug fixes. In a blog post, the company wrote, "We've been developing mobile maps applications for about 10 years, since the first smartphones came with GPS. As the market evolves, we keep in step by introducing our apps for new operating systems while stopping support for others. Back in 2014, Here was one of the few divisions at Nokia that Microsoft hadn't acquired in its multi-billion dollar deal. Since then, the mapping and navigation service has been aggressively expanding. Once exclusively available to Nokia and Microsoft-centric platforms, Here Maps is now available for Samsung's smartwatch, Android as well as iOS. "You cannot be delusional about this one. HERE Is a huge loss for the Windows Phone community," tweeted long-time Microsoft watcher Paul Thurrott.

2 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Are you some sort of shill?

    Seriously, I bought my first windows phone (520) BECAUSE of the Here Drive navigation software.

    Losing this system is a huge blow. I'll try the windows mapping software, but honestly it's becoming increasingly difficult to stay with windows-- which is a shame, since I feel like from an OS standpoint it is a leap forward in usability vs Android and iOS.

  2. Seems to me there's a deeper story here... by the_skywise · · Score: 5, Interesting

    FTFA:
    "In the last few months, we made the HERE apps compatible with Windows 10 by using a workaround that will no longer be effective after June 30, 2016. To continue offering the HERE apps for Windows 10 would require us to redevelop the apps from the ground up, a scenario that led to the business decision to remove our apps from the Windows 10 store."

    I wonder what changes on that date that forces a ground up rewrite?