Apple acquires start-up to help with Maps app

TORONTO — Apple Inc. has scooped up nascent Torontobased start-up Locationary in a deal that could help the tech giant fine-tune its widely panned mobile mapping service.

Launched in late 2010, Locationary aggregates accurate, up-to-date information from users to create a database of local businesses, or an encyclopedia of what venues are open in the area, along with extraneous details such as opening times.

An Apple spokeswoman confirmed an earlier report of the deal to the Financial Post on Friday, but would not disclose how much it paid for the start-up or any additional terms.

“Apple buys smaller tech- nology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” the spokeswoman said.

Locationary may give Apple the boost it needs on the mapping front by helping it harness more accurate data for its own iOS app and OS X. Users criticized the tech giant after it made the well-publicized switch from Google Maps to its own Maps system last year.

“Apple badly needs help with its Maps products, the ugly duckling of its products lineup. Locationary, in theory, will help augment its Maps product, which is still in the early stages,” said Kevin Restivo, senior mobility analyst at IDC Canada.

“Apple is rapidly trying to build up the functionality of its products. One way of doing so is through acquisition.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook had to step in to issue an apology and temper the resulting outcry over the flawed iOS6 service last year.

Restivo called the deal a “smart acquisition” given the flaws in Apple’s Maps product, particularly outdated information. By creating incentives for its users, business listings are kept both geographically and temporally accurate in Locationary’s “unique” federated data exchange platform called Saturn. Users can conveniently check opening hours and WiFi access through its digital map platform.

“There is no silver bullet when it comes to creating a great map product. It’s no simple exercise,” he said about Apple tackling its Achilles heel in a race to create the most consumerfriendly mobile mapping application.

The Cupertino, Calif. -based corporation is turning to its users to improve its homegrown Maps platform by leveraging Locationary’s crowdsourcing efforts, “a popular method of quickly aggregating information,” to keep up with its rivals, he added.

Rival Google doled out $1.3-billion US to snap up Israeli social traffic-mapping and navigation company Waze in June, a sum that has prompted the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate the hefty acquisition.

Locationary, which is run by founder Grant Ritchie, has bagged $2.5 million in funding to date, according to the firm’s CrunchBase profile.