RaduTyrsina
News Team
Apple’s native map app wasn’t a smash hit like some have expected, but that doesn’t mean that the company is ready to give up. The iPad maker is said to have recently purchased a small mapping company which is specialized in providing transit information – Embark.
The business has been founded in 2011, is based in San Francisco and interestingly enough, lists major companies like BMW, Y C​​ombinator and Start Fund as investors. Last month, Apple bought some other mapping related companies – Locationary and HopStop, which deals with transit information, as well.
The Embark deal was uncovered by an ex Wall Street Journal reporter – Jessica Lessin. Miss Lessin claims that an unknown Apple spokeswoman confirmed the purchase, but so far neither Apple CEO nor Embar CEO have said anything about it.
After removing Google’s map app from iOS devices last year and releasing its own mapping service which Tim Cook ended up apologizing for, the company had to take some steps in remedying the situation. Recent hirings of so called “ground truth managers†which basically translates to “mapping experts†indicate that Apple is working hard to improve its maps application.
And with the upcoming release of iOS 7, Apple might have an opportunity to redeem itself. According to sources, the next gen iOS will be totally reinvented and who knows Apple might slip in some improvements to its native map apps as well. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
Source: ModMyi
