The biggest problem Huawei faces in its new smartphones is preventing it from using Google services in those devices, including the app store, in the wake of the US decision that put Huawei on the blacklist to prohibit American companies from dealing with it.
While the company has sought to build its own app store and try to supplement it with applications by providing incentives to developers, the biggest dilemma is how to compensate for the famous Google services that are essential in today's phones, most notably Google Maps.
In this case, Huawei had no choice but to search for a non-American partner, of course. In this regard, Tom Tom, the Dutch company specialized in satellite navigation services, revealed that it had entered into a deal with Huawei to provide maps and traffic data for the Chinese company’s applications.
According to a spokesman for the Dutch company, Remco Mirstra, this deal was suspended for a short period, but has not been disclosed so far. The company declined to share more details, according to the Engadget website on technical matters.
It is not surprising that Huawei has established such partnerships with its blacklisting for the United States based on alleged security concerns, and has had to either find a global navigation partner or accept that its maps application remains limited at best.
At the same time, this news remains important, because even if Huawei will be denied the use of Google applications, which are often important to success outside of China, it will not worry too much about losing vital functions in its new mobile devices.
It is noteworthy that the Dutch company "Tom Tom" was established in 1991 and its main headquarters is Amsterdam, and put the first satellite navigation device on the market in 2004. Until 2018 the company had 5077 employees around the world, and operates operations in 29 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas .