Waze, owned by Google, has huge potential to change the way cities move, as they place a renewed focus on mobility and community. Watch CEO Neha Parikh explain why the technology is much more than a navigation app.
Google is all grown up now and won't take chances on integrating Waze's reports about police speed traps into Google Maps. That takes some of the life and authenticity out of the Waze community.
News of the other acquisition this morning was a relief for anyone struggling to get good information from their iPhone using Apple's maps. The addition of fan favorite HopSpot should improve matters even more.
Unlikely the deal will get tripped up in anti-trust, Waze is too small to have ever become a material competitor, and its elimination from the market doesn't change much from competitive scenario.
Google's Waze purchase will be scrutinized closely from a number of angles, but the most important one in the long run may likely be sceptical users wondering just what they're doing with all that data about their movements.
In this new world, multi-brand strategy is clearly how big Internet companies want to operate, partly to not mess with the DNA of the startups they're buying.
If accurate, it's good news for Waze. Especially since the app's appetite for data and battery power has become a turn off for many of the early adopters.
Facebook's interest in Waze is enough to signal to the outside that interest in tech services, such as Waze's mapping, is more than just a passing fancy.