In case you haven’t had enough location-based news tonight, here’s another very interesting bit. It looks like Apple has very quietly bought an online mapping company, Seth Weintraub of Computerworld reports tonight.
Apple’s purchase of Placebase actually took place this past July, and a founder of a partner company that was using Placebase maps tweeted about it. But it slid under most people’s radars as that was the only news out there about it. But Weintraub dug up Placebase CEO Jaron Waldman’s LinkedIn profile tonight, and sure enough, he is now part of the “Geo Team” at Apple.
Here’s why this is very interesting: It could well signal yet another rift in the relationship between Google and Apple. At the very least, the fact that Apple bought a Google Maps competitor, was probably yet another reason why Eric Schmidt had to step down from Apple’s board of directors (which he did in August). But the bigger picture is that such a purchase could potentially allow Apple to move away from its dependency on Google Maps, which it uses on the iPhone and also its iPhoto computer software.
Obviously, much has been made about Apple’s rejection of the Google Voice app, but remember too that they also rejected (or did not approve, whatever) Google’s Latitude app, forcing Google to make a browser-based version. The reason Apple gave for not approving it was that it would confuse users with the built-in Maps application on the iPhone — the one that runs, yes Google Maps.
And Google actually helped Apple build the entire Maps application, aside from just letting them use their mapping data. So this whole episode has been bizarre, to say the least. But it may be over soon with the Placebase purchase.
Or maybe not. It is certainly possible that Apple simply realized the importance of geolocation, especially in the mobile space, and wanted to acquire talent in that field. While Placebase was a competitor to Google Maps, it also was slightly different, focusing on different layers and customizations.
[photo: flickr/Manitoba Historical Maps]
I’m a bit confused about this rift because Placebase uses Google Maps when you perform searches, not their own mapping software.
you sure about that? om wrote about their rivalry last year http://gigaom.c...5/21/placebase/
I’m a bit confused because there isn’t actually a story here – Nokia own Navteq who develop Ovi Maps and still let you to use Google Maps (or whatever else takes your fancy) if you so choose.
It’s called freedom of choice although I do realise that most Apple fans haven’t been exposed to that concept for a while and probably find it quite strange.
And using Weintraub as a source? Oh come on. That’s just desperate.
Apple won’t be able to compete in the map space. Apple is making one big mistake after another lately. It’s hard to watch. Apple’s biggest problems are alienating the developer community and building proprietary closed systems.
Yes, because they are doing so poorly in the market these days…
beep beep sarcasm detected proceed with caution
So shortsighted. Yes, for the past 7 years, Apple has done very well for themselves in the MP3 player market with their over-controlling insistence that they know best, not their developers, not their vendors, not their users. This is completely ignoring the fact that for 30 years, that same attitude has caused them to consistently fail to capture their supposed core market, personal computing.
Apple is playing a very dangerous game at the moment, where they hype their device based on breadth of software available for it, while concurrently treating the people developing that software as little children who have to be told if their product is good enough to make the cut. Only time will tell if they will be able to sustain this tactic. Apple isn’t going to change, they never do, but just as they did in the personal computing world, developers might get tired of dealing with Apple, and move on to greener pastures, and users might get tired of being told what they can and can’t do, and move on to more open devices.
I know if I were trying to make my software-dependent product a long-term success, I sure wouldn’t start off by pissing off Microsoft, Google and Adobe, all in the first three years. The question really comes down to, is the smartphone market shaping up to be more like the MP3 player market, or more like the personal computer market? If it goes in more the personal computing direction, then no matter how big a flash Apple makes in the pan at the beginning, their flame is going to die out just like it did in the PC world, because they haven’t learned anything from the past.
+1 (hey, MA – how about adding voting to comments).
I would add that developers will not build ONLY for the iPhone, as tools are available to make porting apps to multiple platforms easy.
Therefore, in the future, the Apple’s app store will be less of a draw as people realize that no matter what device they have, ‘there’s an app for that’.
Mac OS X is very developer-friendly; it’s one reason they bought Next in the first place. And they do not seem to be having too many problems getting apps on their phone–up to what, now…65,000 or so?
Seems to me the smartphone market will develop as its own market, not a perfect parallel to the PC market. The circumstances are very different, starting with the crucial importance of the mobile network operators.
OSX is really friendly to developers, provided you only want to program in Objective C, and are willing to do all your development on a Mac, and use only their tools, and keep completely separate code bases for Mac and every other OS. I find the idea that anyone would call a company “friendly” when they dictate to you what language you must use if you want the privilege of developing for their system kind of laughable.
Can you imagine the unending shitstorm if Microsoft announced that to develop for 64-bit Windows 7, they required that you use Visual Studio, and DirectX was the only graphics/sound library the OS would support? Not just developers, but the DOJ would come down on them like a ton of bricks. But yeah, Apple is really friendly.
Lee — interesting point. Microsoft would *never* be able to get away with controlling their platform even half as much as Apple does on the iPhone. The tech press would be frantic, and the SEC would be breathing hot fire down their necks faster than you can spell “antitrust”.
An analogy to Microsoft vs. Apple would be Republicans vs. Democrats. The Republicans get continuously spat on by the media, much like Microsoft, while Apple can do no wrong, much like the Democrats. Apple has the monopoly on everything cool and cutting edge, while Microsoft, try as the might, just can’t seem to find their swagger in this new world order.
“Apple won’t be able to compete in the map space.”
It remembers me on “Apple won’t be able to compete in the smartphone space”; because Windows Mobile, Blackberries and Palm are so strong; only the time will tell; if there’s a company that is able to compete with google, it’s apple!
just my 2 Cents
To say they are going to replace Google Maps with this is silly. Everyone would think the Maps app looks funny.
However, it’s the data collecting which PlaceMaps has that would be very interesting to see on the iPhone.
I agree with JP. Apple has recently made one mistake after another and is increasingly at odds with its user base. Apple can make whichever products they want but as a user I should have the right to use a Google product if I wish or any other competing product. As I’ve stated repeatedly, Apple does not own phones it sells, the purchasers do. Apple is a wholely innovative company, but of late, its behaved more like Microsoft and its unfortunate.
You’ll be able to still use Google Maps on the iPhone. It will probably be a application that you have to download though from the AppStore. It won’t come pre built on the iPhone like it does now. And really, why should it? Why should Google be given a competitive advantage over other app developers by having their apps ship with the iphone?
Except that Google has officially said it has no more iPhone apps in the pipeline. That might change with time, but right now Google seems to be taking the position that after having two of it’s apps rejected, and their CEO stepping down from the Apple board, they are done with iPhone app development.
@googmaps
If apple didn’t allow latitude into the app store because users would confuse it with google’s built in map app why would they let a google mapping program in once they replace the built in google maps? There is no way.
@Micheal
>behaved more like Microsoft
Please. MS has never controlled or even been a postion to seek control of a device the way apple does. MS brass knuckles and chisels the competition. Apple tries, and always has tried, to control users. Apple is behaving like apple always has. Early on Jobs didn’t want apple computers to be expandable in any way because he thought users would only fuck up the perfection. He would restrict what you could install on a macbook if he could. The iPhone allows for that control and rather turning them into MS it has made them more “apple” then ever. The iphone is the summation of his long sought vision which is both glorious and, from a freewheeling user’s perspective, sucky.
Well the latest consumer survey by CFIGroup apparently shows nothing Apple should worry about.
Yeah I’m as frustrated as the other guy about the whole Google Voice back and forth.
But have some perspective, we can leave, a lot of people just don’t care.
blah blah blah, the market has spoken and you’re clearly wrong…
Sorry, but even Microsoft doesn’t tell you what you can and can’t install on your phone or PC. They don’t block iTunes even though it competes with their Zune, now do they? You can install whatever the hell you want on a Windows Mobile phone (although I had a WinMo phone and it sucked).
BTW Long live the android!
Good thing there is such thing as jailbreaking. You can install all the software you want on your iphone right?
Sure. You only have to risk bricking your phone and invalidating your warranty to do it.
That’s just awesome.
enough with that line. Jailbreak just sounds illegal…hmmppff
To placebase.com give you the Pushpin APIs.
http://www.push...m/api/1.3/docs/
I think Apple are skating on thin ice by blocking specific apps on the iphone. Another good example is blocking podcast style applications purely because it competes with itunes.
Apple are preventing competition on the iphones similar to when Microsoft were trying to obtain unfair advantages on Windows.
I think, at some point in the future, they’ll be hit hard by the DOJ. And Europe normally hit harder than the States, so they should be careful.
My 2 (euro) cents.
Andy
Except Microsoft never said you run your code on their devices. They just made it difficult to compete, but you could still get your product sold.
Apple blocks developers AFTER the coding work is done.
pedalpete, I agree, that was my point in the second paragraph, …maybe I should have made it clearer.
Andy
It looks like the honeymoon is over,as I knew it would end, Google is becoming a competitive threat to Apple and Steve Jobs and company knows it.
Allowing Google to have dominant apps on the iphone would eventually put Apple at a disadvantage.
I applaud Apple on taking control of the situation,but they have an up hill battle.
Microsoft has a superior mapping service in its Live maps, it takes a lot of work so Apple better get down to buisness.
PlaceBase was a failing business and Apple just acquired them to get smart people, not the technology. You are reading way too much into this. PlaceBase had been scrambling around to try to find an exit as they ran out of cash and gas. They were desperate and were offering themselves up at almost no cost to anyone.
It is great that Apple basically acquired some smart people, but to call them a Google Maps competitor or any sort of threat is absurd. Their technology did not scale, attracted almost no interest from the developer community, nor customers, and would be a major liability for Apple (which I’m sure is why they took it all down).
Placebase must have been hurting to be bought out. Apple isn’t any different than Microsoft in this area. Apple couldn’t develop the mapping technology so they bought a company that could. Does anyone remember DOS, Microsoft bought DOS to get IBM’s business and look what it did for them.
One thought here that might be of interest:
Let’s imagine that apple IS trying to get away from Google products, and this is yet another sign of this divorce. This would then have a great impact on the mobile OS war that is currently going on. Right now Google doesn’t really care all that much if you are using an iPhone or an Android device as long as you are plugged into their universe of Google products. If Apple starts to remove pre-installed Google products from their phones, now Google has a real strong case to push android v. iPhone, and will start to market and improve Android to compete with the iPhone and not just be another iPhone alternative. Seemingly moves like showing iphones in their adverts/instructions or releasing software for the iphone before android(eg. Google Earth) might seem like a counter-productive move now.
So hooray for this divorce and YAY to better and even MORE competitive Android ecosystem!
Zhenya
If Apple stopped bundling google maps,
i’d like to see Google remove gmail support for iphone. i’d rather have gmail than iphone
If I remember correctly, I think iPhoto uses Yahoo maps, not Google Maps.
Don’t think, know.
While I am a strong believer in the inevitability of Apple/Google evolving into Frienemies in the months ahead (see: The Chess Masters: Apple versus Google – http://bit.ly/IHPmW), I think this is more a case of Apple adding geo-locative DNA to their bench and continuing their innovation around the Maps app, which while powered by Google Maps under the hood, is nonetheless developed by Apple in terms of look, feel and supported workflows.
Placebase was a pronominal business that was entirely bootstrapped. Hats off to Jaron and the team as Apple needed some help in this area. Glad the word is finally out!
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