“Finally, Apple Inc. seems to have taken the mapping business seriously. Reportedly, Apple recently acquired Embark, which offers mass transit information of selected cities in Europe and the U.S. However, the financials associated with the deal were not disclosed,” Zacks Equity Research writes.
“The current deal follows back-to-back acquisitions of HopStop.com Inc. and Locationary Inc.in Jul 2013,” Zacks writes. “These were preceded by the takeover of WiFiSLAM, a provider of indoor mapping application technology earlier this year.”
Zacks writes, “We note that Apple has a knack for acquiring small start-up technology companies that can be synergized with its current product portfolio. Moreover, these acquisitions enable Apple to deliver ready-made solutions and technological know-how for specific problems. We believe that this acquisition policy would benefit the company over the long run.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple buys public transit mapping company Embark – August 22, 2013
Apple Maps one year later: The good, the bad, and the future – August 9, 2013
Apple filling out its ‘ground truth’ Maps team with new regional and local job listings – July 31, 2013
Apple’s iOS 7 3D Maps make Google, Nokia offerings look old fashioned – July 31, 2013
Apple escalates maps war by nabbing Locationary – July 19, 2013
Apple working with vehicle makers to deeply embed iOS 7 Maps and Siri services, sources say – April 30, 2013
Apple acquires indoor location company WifiSLAM for $20 million – March 23, 2013
Good moves, a few similar ones before the launch may have helped mind.
Thus Forstall’s firing.
If it’s betaware, CALL it betaware. That’s the lesson.
No one ever likes ‘Version 1.0 Syndrome’. But everyone goes Postal when Version 1.0 isn’t even worthy of being Version 1.0. Death threats ensue. Heads roll.
But ‘Version 1.0 Syndrome’ is one of Microsoft’s biggest innovations! 😆
And Google too. But Google allegedly violated Microsoft’s “Beta-itis” patent.
Don’t forget “Version 2.0 Contagion”
I think the key here is that Scott F. told Cook that it was ready. Remember the great examples he gave at the keynote???
Trouble was he should have told Cook that it still had issues and let Cook decide which way to go. In fighting for power.
Also, Apple was under the gun. It had to drop Google cause Google was not sharing its best with Apple. So it was also a shot across Googles bow. Politics,,,, ain’t it a fun game.
Just saying.
Actually, I found the RUSH TO APPLE MAPS to be a bit odd. Apple’s contract with Google for Google Maps had a few months left to go. I’m sure Apple did NOT want to continue the contract, but that was no reason to RUSH out Apple Maps without some serious testing, calling it the beta it was, getting real user feedback, which we know did NOT happen.
IOW: Obvious, needless RUSH JOB.
I’m glad Forstall got nailed for it. His eye was NOT on the ball. It’s clear that Cook is not as involved with product development and product quality as Jobs was. I suspect the Apple Maps mess got him to jump onto a whole new ‘involvement with product development’ learning curve. We shall see the results next month.
Apple had a year left on its contract with Google, but Google was refusing to implement turn-by-turn navigation for iOS. Apparently Apple thought it was important enough to have turn-by-turn that it rushed Apple Maps. All of this could have been mitigated by simply slapping the “beta” label on Apple Maps, but that was difficult to do because Google did not have a stand-alone Google Maps app available.
Apple screwed up by rushing Maps out the door with iOS 6. It should have waited until Apple Maps was finished, then released a large update to iOS 6.
I believe Apple acquired at least 3 mapping technology companies before they launched maps.
“Finally”
Fuck off.
Was there a “Finally” article when Google’s maps was good enough to rely on? Was there a “Finally” article when Microsoft deployed a Windows version that wasn’t total shit?
No, because it hasn’t been until relatively recently that tech “reporting” has been taken over by twee frat morons who look at everything thru the sieve of “awesome” or “sucks”.
But measured responses and thoughtful back stories don’t get the traffic, do they?
One of the best summations of the current state of “journalism” I have seen in a long time.
I guess you are used to foul ‘graphic novels’ and lewd funny papers if you think that ‘His Shadow’ is the best summation of the current state of “journalism”.
I dunno, seemed to pretty much hit the nail on the head, if you ask me.. not everything in this world is chocolate and roses..
Do you have another schtick besides droning on about peoples’ word selection? I’m just wondering.
Rhetorical answer: Electro routinely objects to four-letter words, which are overused, excessively and lazily by many, but even Shakespeare understood the case—as His Shadow did here—when it is demanded.
Yes; equality of women and men, universal education, unity in diversity, the betterment of mankind, any and all virtues, world peace, the equality of the races, a universal currency, a more effective UN, and Apple products and services.
Kumbaya. Maybe His Shadow could have used a different phrase to express his disdain for the author’s method of introducing his article. But you completely missed the point of the post by focusing solely on that exclamation of frustration and ignoring the meat of the post which was a a pretty damn good “summation of the current state of “journalism”. I think your piety is preventing you enjoying a good old fashioned rant.
Don’t you just hate it when people use bad fucking language?
Tally ho!
Brilliant line ‘His Shadow’:
…because it hasn’t been until relatively recently that tech “reporting” has been taken over by twee frat morons who look at everything thru the sieve of “awesome” or “sucks”.
Awesome. 😆
Splendid! I so wish I had written that. A tip of the Hatlo hat…They’ll Do It Every Time, Internet Edition.
Methinks Ms HJS has just dated herself… Thanks! I hadn’t thought of Hatlo in years — you’re right, he would have loved to lampoon all the current silliness of tech punditry. 🙂
Methinks Dr Wzrd has just dated himself… Turnabout is fair play, and Kate the curs’t would have loved it as well or better
Well Said
How do I add a million invites in one go.
They could buy a hundred mapping companies and it’d still be too late to change the (currently correct) perception that Apple’s map app is inferior to Google’s. They botched it a year ago by playing politics rather than by doing what was best for the public and this hubristic move has cost them dearly. All this work on maps now is futile. I don’t know one person that uses Apple maps on their iPhone. I certainly don’t. The Apple app still tells me I’m on 52nd Street when I’m clearly on 54th. I wished they’d move on to tackling other problems besides this map war they lost a year ago.
So true. Even using the Google maps app doesn’t restore the functionality that Apple screwed us out of because this app can’t access the addresses of our contacts. That’s why they will have to pry my iOS 5 from my COLD DEAD HANDS!!