Google announces acquisition of mapping & traffic service Waze
Waze ? a popular cross-platform, crowd-sourced traffic and navigation service ??has been acquired by Google, and will be integrated with its Maps service, the company announced on Tuesday.
Google's purchase was revealed on the company's official blog by vice president Brian McClendon, who announced that the Waze development team will remain in Israel and operate separately for the time being. The acquisition also brings in the active Waze community, which contributes data about traffic and accidents to inform other users.
"We're excited about the prospect of enhancing Google Maps with some of the traffic update features provided by Waze and enhancing Waze with Google's search capabilities," McClendon said.
No price was given for the acquisition, but reports from last month suggested the company could pay as much as $1 billion in a buyout. Previously, Facebook was also reportedly in Talks to buy Waze, also for an asking price of about $1 billion.
As of April, Waze had more than 40 million people actively using its service and contributing data. Investors in the company include Microsoft and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Waze is a free application available on the iOS App Store, offering turn-by-turn directions with automatic traffic data reporting. Community-generated data includes real-time routing, live maps, and an accident reporting system.
Google's purchase comes as the mobile battle for mapping is heating up between it, Apple, and other major players. Apple's iOS platform relied on Google for mapping data until last year's launch of iOS 6, when Apple debuted its own Maps application.
Maps was introduced on iOS, but will come to the Mac later this year with the launch of OS X Mavericks. The company has worked behind the scenes to improve its Maps service, following a perception at launch that it was vastly inferior to Google Maps.
Rumors suggested early this year that Apple was interested in acquiring Waze, but those turned out to be inaccurate. The Waze iOS application was highlighted by Apple last year following the launch of iOS 6, when the company promoted alternative mapping applications and apologized for the substandard quality of its own Maps.
Google's purchase was revealed on the company's official blog by vice president Brian McClendon, who announced that the Waze development team will remain in Israel and operate separately for the time being. The acquisition also brings in the active Waze community, which contributes data about traffic and accidents to inform other users.
"We're excited about the prospect of enhancing Google Maps with some of the traffic update features provided by Waze and enhancing Waze with Google's search capabilities," McClendon said.
No price was given for the acquisition, but reports from last month suggested the company could pay as much as $1 billion in a buyout. Previously, Facebook was also reportedly in Talks to buy Waze, also for an asking price of about $1 billion.
As of April, Waze had more than 40 million people actively using its service and contributing data. Investors in the company include Microsoft and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Waze is a free application available on the iOS App Store, offering turn-by-turn directions with automatic traffic data reporting. Community-generated data includes real-time routing, live maps, and an accident reporting system.
Google's purchase comes as the mobile battle for mapping is heating up between it, Apple, and other major players. Apple's iOS platform relied on Google for mapping data until last year's launch of iOS 6, when Apple debuted its own Maps application.
Maps was introduced on iOS, but will come to the Mac later this year with the launch of OS X Mavericks. The company has worked behind the scenes to improve its Maps service, following a perception at launch that it was vastly inferior to Google Maps.
Rumors suggested early this year that Apple was interested in acquiring Waze, but those turned out to be inaccurate. The Waze iOS application was highlighted by Apple last year following the launch of iOS 6, when the company promoted alternative mapping applications and apologized for the substandard quality of its own Maps.
Comments
Same.
Obviously, Google Maps isn't nearly as good as the shills would have one believe otherwise the blatant copying of Apple Maps in the latest Google Maps Beta and the purchase of Waze would be unnecessary.
Well it was nice while it lasted. Now to delete it, as it shakes in fear.
;p
Deleting the App
Deleted from my phone as well. Quite enjoyed it while it was independent. Oh well.
Garth: No waze!
Wayne: Waze!
Google's spending more money again, I wonder what their ROI will be this time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by silversquonk
Deleted from my phone as well. Quite enjoyed it while it was independent. Oh well.
Like most start-ups, their entire business model was built around being bought up by a larger company. They were never going to stay independent forever.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacBook Pro
the blatant copying of Apple Maps in the latest Google Maps Beta
Are you being serious? How did Google copy anything at all from Apple Maps?
Quote:
Originally Posted by NexusPhan
Are you being serious? How did Google copy anything at all from Apple Maps?
He is serious. Apple introduced vector maps and 3D flyovers. A year later, Google introduced vector maps and airborne flyovers...
Quote:
Originally Posted by chabig
He is serious. Apple introduced vector maps and 3D flyovers. A year later, Google introduced vector maps and airborne flyovers...
You're head isn't that deeply buried in the sand is it?
Google announced the 'flyover' before apple did (http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=22411)
Google has had vector based maps since 2010 (http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/07/google-maps-5-0-for-android-goes-vector-for-faster-loading-zoom/)
You guys are all insane.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chabig
He is serious. Apple introduced vector maps and 3D flyovers. A year later, Google introduced vector maps and airborne flyovers...
From 2.5 years ago
http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/07/google-maps-5-0-for-android-goes-vector-for-faster-loading-zoom/
Quote:
Originally Posted by Filmantopia
Looks like Google is working hard to catch up after the devastation caused by Apple Maps.
;p
That was certainly worth a laugh! About the only devastation caused by Apple Maps would be to renditions of bridges and roads!
You guys are all [B][I]insane[/I][/B].
[/quote]
"Here's To The Crazy Ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the
square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have
no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them.
About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the
human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world - are the ones who DO !"
On topic, I already had the Tom Tom app with live traffic, so I very seldom used Waze anymore. Time to delete.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdaddyp
"Here's To The Crazy Ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the
square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have
no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them.
About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the
human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world - are the ones who DO !"
Edited: I understand the reference now. Went right over my head. Kudos to you sir, that was very clever.