Nokia has been trying to sell its Here maps service for months. Now, three European carmakers have agreed to purchase the service for about $3.1 billion.

Audi, BMW and Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz, agreed to purchase the Here maps service from Nokia realizing the importance of mapping data to the car industry, according to a press release from Nokia. As technology continues to improve and cars become more connected, having a reliable mapping service is becoming important.

With the Here maps service, the European carmakers have an alternative to Apple and Google maps services. Navigation services will be improved with the usage of Here, as opposed to the former satellite-navigation services. The next generation of navigation services allow cars to collect data and share it in real-time with other vehicles on the road. In the future, this technology will be very important for self-driving cars, CNET reports.

Nokia is best known for its phones, but it sold its phone business to Microsoft last year. Now, the company is making networking equipment through Nokia Networks, researching and developing new technology through Nokia Technologies and providing map services with Here. To ramp up its telecom equipment business, Nokia acquired rival Alcatel-Lucent.

Here can be used by the public via apps on Android, iOS and Windows Phones. Here's business comes mostly from licensing its mapping data to other companies, especially in the automotive industry. In 2014, there were 17 million vehicles with navigation systems, according to research firm IHS. All of those cars will need mapping services and updated data.

Here is making technology that will take data from cars, phones and roads, deliver it to the cloud and then provide real-time predictive mapping services. 

Analysts from IHS say it is interesting that the three automakers are getting together for this purchase. They say that it could provide a common ground for the industry.

Here's services are one of only two global mapping solution besides Apple and Google, the other being TomTom. 

The Here deal from Nokia to Audi, BMW and Daimler is expected to close in the first quarter of 2016. 

Here president Sean Fernback said in a press release it was "a very good outcome" for the maps service, employees and customers. 

"I believe today's announcement is a very good outcome for HERE, its customers and employees. The new ownership structure of HERE will allow us to accelerate our strategy, further scale our business and fulfill our intent to become the leading location cloud company across industries," Fernback said.