Technology giant, Apple, have purchased Silicon Valley startup WiFiSLAM, for a reported $20 million. WiFiSLAM specializes in creating technology for indoor GPS tracking, such as their facility to track the location of your smartphone to within 2.5m, using only ‘ambient’ Wi-Fi signals which are bouncing around the building you’re are in.
The level of competition between Google and Apple for their respective map services is obviously high, and many have not forgotten the number of complaints about the sub-standard maps that Apple users discovered on their new mobile devices when Google Maps was removed as the map app that came with the OS as standard!
Are Apple going to use this technology to seriously improve their mapping software?
Before Apple purchased the company, WiFiSLAM was pitching its tech to app developers, with a view to it being used for indoor mapping systems, and to possibly be used to power a new breed of retail app and social networking systems.
Perhaps one day you will be strolling through the aisles of your favourite department store, receiving push messages from the WiFiSLAM system, with special offers specifically relating to the products on the next aisle along!
Of course Google currently provides indoor mapping for some locations, like shopping malls, airports, and some sports venues, allowing users of their maps to view such places in ‘street view’ style (something which, no doubt, will be utilised in the ‘Google Glass‘ project!).
Talking to the Wall Street Journal, an Apple spokesman stated that: “buys smaller technology companies from time to time”, and that on the whole, it doesn’t discuss its plans. The spokesperson declined to comment further to the WSJ.
