HopStop.com Inc., people with knowledge of the deal said, seeking to
improve mapping tools after a rocky debut for its directions software
last year.
The people asked not to be identified because the deal isn't public.
AllThingsD reported yesterday that Cupertino, California-based Apple
is purchasing Locationary Inc., a Toronto-based company focused on
business-location maps.
New mapping software Apple debuted in September with the iPhone 5 has
been faulted for getting users lost and for its lack of
public-transportation directions. HopStop shows users in more than 500
cities the fastest way to travel by foot, bike, subway and car;
Locationary deploys real-time data from a variety of sources to help
users find featured businesses.
Apple, which touted the map features as a key software change in the
iPhone 5, built its navigation application amid a growing battle with
Google Inc. (GOOG), which had provided mapping data since the iPhone
was introduced in 2007. Apple built the replacement app in part
because it wanted to scale back its relationship with Google, not
because of any product flaws, two people familiar with Apple's mapping
product said last year.
Google unveiled its mapping application for the iPhone and iPad in
December. Google Maps is the most popular free program in Apple's App
Store. HopStop ranks No. 7 among free navigation tools.
HopStop, based in New York, provides directions for more than 140
major metropolitan areas in the U.S. and six other countries,
according to its website.
Maps Battle
Google, seeking to seeking to keep rivals from eroding its lead in
mobile-navigation, acquired Waze Inc. last month. The developer, whose
mobile app solicits input from about 50 million users to improve
directions and display traffic and road-hazard details.
The acquisitions reflect a widening rift between the two companies as
they court mobile users.
After Apple introduced its mapping software and met with customer
complaints, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook apologized for the
"frustration" in September, vowing to improve the program and
suggesting alternative apps.
Google has been building out its online mapping software since 2005,
using cars and satellites to accumulate data that helps improve its
accuracy and reliability. To catch up, Apple can use location data
collected from customers using its maps to improve the service.
Apple's map software includes a feedback feature for users to report
inaccurate directions and other bugs.
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