Apple Acquired Mapping Company Placebase in July
Computerworld reveals that Apple quietly acquired mapping company Placebase back in July.
The obvious interest Apple would have in the company would be the mapping content and expertise that they are currently relying on Google for in their iPhone maps application. Placebase, however, also offered additional functionality that is not currently available in Google's offerings that Apple could theoretically take advantage of. This primarily involves the aggregating of different data sets onto maps. PolicyMap was given as an example of this aggregate functionality.
Placebase is similar to Google Maps in that it is a mapping service and has the world mapped out. You can zoom in and out and it has different layers you can superimpose over your mapping data.
Placebase CEO Jaron Waldman LinkedIn profile now listed his position as part of the "Geo Team" at Apple.The obvious interest Apple would have in the company would be the mapping content and expertise that they are currently relying on Google for in their iPhone maps application. Placebase, however, also offered additional functionality that is not currently available in Google's offerings that Apple could theoretically take advantage of. This primarily involves the aggregating of different data sets onto maps. PolicyMap was given as an example of this aggregate functionality.
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31 months ago
Seems interesting. It would be nice to have some more features in applications like Keynote and iMovie, but I imagine this is for the iPhone.
31 months ago
Good move by Apple.
Apple has a ton of cash on hand, surprised there hasn't been more acquisitions like this recently.
Apple has a ton of cash on hand, surprised there hasn't been more acquisitions like this recently.
31 months ago
i smell iPhone SDK's MapKit framework becoming more interesting in the near future.
31 months ago
Screw GoogleMaps, let them have it for they're doomed Android OS phone. Hello Apple Maps!!
31 months ago
Hm, could this be the beginning of the end for the Apple/Google relationship? :eek: I hope not. They make a great team.
31 months ago
Hm, could this be the beginning of the end for the Apple/Google relationship? :eek: I hope not. They make a great team.
This is called leverage and inevitability.
Google has a strangle hold on Mapping [Yahoo yes, but that's got Microsoft all over it] and with Google's everything is should be a distributed networking client/server model this ensures Apple and it's upcoming Data Centers are ready to flip the switch as an additional back-end service for Apple customers.
The US Government was smart to used OpenstreetMap to aid in their neutrality for web services.
This keeps Google humble and weakens their "leverage" over Apple.
Placebase has a nice API: http://collections.pushpin.com/
31 months ago
Put Steve in charge of mapping!
Let him focus 100% of his efforts just on mapping!
(but what will happen to Google Street View? :eek: )
I like Street View. And so does augmented reality.
Apple may really like the idea of having their own, in-house mapping, but we can't ignore that Google has one hell of a great mapping (and data and Google) search and info/data services built into their mapping.
Let him focus 100% of his efforts just on mapping!
(but what will happen to Google Street View? :eek: )
I like Street View. And so does augmented reality.
Apple may really like the idea of having their own, in-house mapping, but we can't ignore that Google has one hell of a great mapping (and data and Google) search and info/data services built into their mapping.
31 months ago
Put Steve in charge of mapping!
Let him focus 100% of his efforts just on mapping!
(but what will happen to Google Street View? :eek: )
I like Street View. And so does augmented reality.
Apple may really like the idea of having their own, in-house mapping, but we can't ignore that Google has one hell of a great mapping (and data and Google) search and info/data services built into their mapping.
Apple sends out their own teams to do the same with mapping.
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