Apple reportedly hiring ex-Google Maps staff to help improve their Maps app

While Apple’s new Maps app might have sounded like a pretty good idea when revealed, apparently it did not function as well in the real world and there have been many reports of its inaccuracy and rather weird renderings. Well it seems that Apple is hoping to fix that and according to reports, they have been rather aggressive in the hiring of ex-Google employees who have had work experience on Google Maps. This was revealed by a TechCrunch source who was a contractor who worked on Google Maps and this is what he had to say:

“Many of my coworkers at Google Maps eventually left when their contracts ended or on their own accord. One guy looked around for other GIS work and ended up at Apple when a recruiter contacted him. He had heard rumors for a while that Apple was going to develop its own in-house mapping platform, and given his experience at Google, he was an easy hire. Apple went out of their way to bring him down to Cupertino and he’s now paid handsomely as a GIS Analyst. Another coworker that was a project lead at Google Maps, left for the East Coast after his contract ended, and was recently contacted by an Apple recruiter. The position sounds like a product development manager position, and will pay him $85k+ and all the moving expenses from the East Coast. He’s gone through 2 rounds of interview and seems like a frontrunner to land that position.”

Their source also went on to state that despite the setbacks that Apple has faced with the initial launch of its Maps app, he believes that it has the potential to be a rival to Google Maps. At the moment it certainly does not seem that way but we guess that given the current state of things, the only way Apple can go with its Maps app is up, right? Hopefully Apple will churn out a fix and update soon!

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: Google Maps, ios 6