According to AppleInsider.com, Apple has purchased a Web-based mapping company from Quebec, Canada, that creates interactive 3D software for use in a browser, according to a new report.
French-Canadian news site cyberpresse.ca reported that Poly9 has been purchased by Apple, and a majority of the company’s employees were moved to California. Poly9 makes the product Poly9 Globe, described as a “cross-browser, cross-platform 3D globe which does not require any download.” The interactive software allows users to spin a three-dimensional rendering of the Earth, while providing real-time statistics on the user’s virtual location, including altitude.
The report says that Poly9 was purchased “recently” by Apple, though official confirmation has not been given. It was said that the Cupertino, Calif., company asked Poly9 employees to not discuss the matter.
If the unofficial report is true, the purchase of Poly9 would be the second mapping related acquisition for Apple. Last year, it was revealed that the company had purchased Placebase, a Google Maps competitor.
It’s thought that the Apple purchase of Placebase, along with the growing rivalry with Google, is a sign that Apple plans to create its own mapping software for use on mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad. Currently, Apple partners with Google for its Maps application.
Evidence that Apple could pursue its own Maps application came last November, when a company job listing sought to hire someone to help take the iPhone’s Maps application “to the next level.” It said that the company intended to “rethink how users use Maps and change the way people find things. We want to do this in a seamless, highly interactive and enjoyable way. We’ve only just started.”
Published on July 23, 2010
