WSJ: Apple has Acquired Indoor-GPS Company WifiSLAM
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal Apple has acquired an indoor-GPS company WifiSLAM.
“Apple has acquired indoor-GPS company WifiSLAM, a sign that the war over indoor mobile location services is heating up,” Jessica E. Lessin writes for WSJ. “Apple paid around $20 million for the Silicon Valley-based company, according to a person familiar with the matter who said the deal closed recently.”
According to the report, an Apple spokesman confirmed the deal with the WSJ, stating that, “buys smaller technology companies from time to time” and generally doesn’t discuss its plans.
“The two-year-old startup has developed ways for mobile apps to detect a phone user’s location in a building using Wi-Fi signals. It has been offering the technology to application developers for indoor mapping and new types of retail and social networking apps,” Lessin explains.
Ironically, the its co-founders include former Google software engineering intern Joseph Huang.
“The move comes as Apple continues to build its arsenal against Google in mapping. It debuted its own mapping service last year to poor reviews and user complaints about inaccurate data,” Lessin continues. “Apple chief executive Tim Cook apologized for the quality of the product, and Apple has continued to improve it.”
