Apple says new India tech center focused on Maps development, local market initiatives

Posted:
in General Discussion edited February 2016
Apple has confirmed recent reports that it plans to open an expansive new development office in India, revealing that the facility will serve its Maps team as well as "ambitious efforts locally."

WaveRock facilities in Hyderabad, India
WaveRock facilities in Hyderabad, India | Source: Tishman Speyer


"We are looking forward to opening a new development office in Hyderabad that will be home to over 150 Apple employees supporting maps development," Apple said in a statement issued to the India Times. "The office will also have space for many contractors who will support our ambitious efforts locally."

Apple is reportedly still awaiting government approval to operate in the APIIC IT/ITES Special Economic Zone, after which the company will formally sign a memorandum of understanding.

A $25 million investment will net Apple 250,000 square feet at the WaveRock campus. It's not yet clear whether the company will take space from the existing building or work with landlord Tishman Speyer for a custom solution in the campus's second phase, though the latter seems more likely.

The Hyderabad facility will be Apple's first major technical center in India, joining at least seven other sites outside the U.S. The company is also known to operate research and development facilities in the UK, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Israel.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    The Maps team still requires a significant bolstering. I've had corrections fixed quickly sometimes (Cue says 2.5 million in total) and other times not fixed at all with no explanation. Yes you need to look where you are driving but recently in Cork an Apple Map direction tried to drive me into a ditch on the motorway. 2 months later still not fixed. I reported it twice and even included screenshots. My only conclusion is a lack of employees. Every other conclusion is too worrying to consider. This bolstering of the Maps team should have been more agressive and happened within a few months of Forstall's firing. With a car on the horizon we need a far more aggressive Maps push from Apple. He's gone 3.5 years now!!
    edited February 2016 patchythepirate
  • Reply 2 of 7
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    ireland said:
    The Maps team still requires a significant bolstering. 
    I think it was a mistake to depend on TomTom and Yelp for their mapping data. They should have done their own thing from the beginning like they are doing now with the new vans, but they need thousands of them, not dozens. I see Google mapping cars all the the time. I have yet to see an Apple mapping van.
    cornchip
  • Reply 3 of 7
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    volcan said:
    ireland said:
    The Maps team still requires a significant bolstering. 
    I think it was a mistake to depend on TomTom and Yelp for their mapping data. They should have done their own thing from the beginning like they are doing now with the new vans, but they need thousands of them, not dozens. I see Google mapping cars all the the time. I have yet to see an Apple mapping van.
    Exactly. A van here and there just ain't going to cut the mustard. They need vans everywhere and Map data fixed within 48 hours.
    cornchip
  • Reply 4 of 7
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    I sent in a message to Apple about an important new street that connects two other major roads in my city. That was three months ago. Still nothing. I also sent it in to Google and they even called to thank me for helping and it was fixed in a week.
    cornchipcnocbui
  • Reply 5 of 7
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    volcan said:
    I sent in a message to Apple about an important new street that connects two other major roads in my city. That was three months ago. Still nothing. I also sent it in to Google and they even called to thank me for helping and it was fixed in a week.
    Exactly. It's shocking how inept Apple is at some services like this.
    patchythepirate
  • Reply 6 of 7
    This is much needed to update maps POI and fix issues. You can't be paying $100k salaries for employees in California for what is basically manual data entry. I'd be expecting the number of staff increase dramatically as long has they can find skilled workers that meet their standards. With that kind of office space they'd be easily 10x the number of employees
  • Reply 7 of 7
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    ireland said:
    The Maps team still requires a significant bolstering. I've had corrections fixed quickly sometimes (Cue says 2.5 million in total) and other times not fixed at all with no explanation. Yes you need to look where you are driving but recently in Cork an Apple Map direction tried to drive me into a ditch on the motorway. 2 months later still not fixed. I reported it twice and even included screenshots. My only conclusion is a lack of employees. Every other conclusion is too worrying to consider. This bolstering of the Maps team should have been more agressive and happened within a few months of Forstall's firing. With a car on the horizon we need a far more aggressive Maps push from Apple. He's gone 3.5 years now!!
    A 'ditch in the motorway'?

    Is the 'ditch in the motorway' supposed to be there, or is it waiting to be repaired?  If it's not supposed to be there then I call that a low priority fix. In fact, I wouldn't fix it at all. 

    I I did report a petrol station being incorrectly located about 3 miles from where it was supposed to be. That got fixed… after about six months.
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