After Facebook failed, Apple said offers were too much, seems Google may be at the table.
Your thoughts?
http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/9/4411832/google-to-buy-waze-for-1-3-billion
http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/09/google-waze-acquisition-rumor/
Hi,
Well, they have probably more ready cash than faecesbook!
Question is though, what have google got to gain from the deal? They could throw a few extra programmers at their own maps program/app and add much of what is on Waze. Their maps are also probably in better (overall) shape than Waze, and nothing that another few editors couldn’t sort out.
100 staff would not cost google $1.3 bill…
Des. . . 
To succeed is to destroy the competition…
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Saw something about being allowed to run independently for three years. If true is not over yet.
Now is it to early to start using Google as an official source map lol
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Google is probably the best option as a buyer for us anyway. Facebook would destroy it. Google has serious knowledge and money and isn’t exactly in the same game as perhaps Microsoft would be ie buy for rights.
If that is true fraggle then that’s even better for the community. Google has recently opened their own maps up so maybe this openness is the way they want to go. Remember they only really make money from advertising so this would be just another platform. That and more user data to target those ads better.
It’s difficult to see what the idea is but if they let it run independent for a while then I very much doubt there’s any ulterior motive there. It’d be a waste of time and money if that was the case.
Rather Google than Facebook anyway…
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Do you really think google would run two mapping apps and infrastructure in the medium/long term?
Still, anything’s better than Facebook :!:
I wonder if Google think that long term they can get away from paying expensive contractors to survey the road system and get us doing it for free?
Also, I don’t agree that Google maps are better than Waze because so many of them are years out of date, especially once you get outside of the major towns and cities, Waze has the advantage of thousands of eyes on the roads making updates soon after they happen, or before sometimes.
We do need some investment in servers, Intl server has been rolled back yet again!
We will probably end up with advertising showing up in the client which would be anoying at best and probably distracting to the driver if flashing banners show up, like in some other apps.
Google are only interested in the long term financial income to Google, if you have ever tried advertising with them you will know what I mean. Forget community spirit once big business takes over.
The Waze business model has always involved borrowing money to build up the value of Waze in the hope that someone would eventually buy it for enough money to repay the loans and make a profit. So we shouldn’t be surprised or disappointed when Waze is sold to somebody with deep pockets.
Any purchaser will want to keep people using Waze, driving people away would mean they had wasted their money. They may perhaps be particularly keen to hang on to map editors - we’ve always boasted that Waze maps are more up to date than anybody else’s, that should be an asset to a purchaser even if they have their own mapping already.
I have the impression that recent Waze updates have focussed on “eye-candy” to attract potential purchasers.
When somebody actually buys Waze, we might then get the investment in infrastructure which is sorely needed. Waze desperately needs to cope better with loss of telephone signal; it should be able to store user reports and petrol price updates on the client phone and transmit them once the phone link is restored.
So on the whole, I think a purchase of Waze is (1) inevitable, and (2) potentially good for Wazers. Which isn’t to say that a purchaser won’t screw up and wreck the product, but we can hope.
This is my first post here as I’ve only visited to see what other people are saying about this subject. I think Google buying Waze is a disaster for the end user. I dread to think what Google will be doing with my journey data.
Kind of bittersweet to see this thread really.
I had a discussion with another developer at a session when Diane came to speak in London (a few years ago now) about Waze that Google would do something anti-competitive that would either destroy Waze by aping it through their huge user base or they would consume/purchase Waze. I’m glad it was the latter really, I put a lot of work into it and supported them through the “great basemap import” when many people left.
A big cash injection won’t hurt the Waze platform plus Ehud and the team totally deserve the money with a bonus that they get to keep their jobs (and keep them in Israel too), so on that basis Waze are definitely onto a winner and I heartily congratulate them.
If Google are good for the rest of us, well, anyone who remembers me will know what I think of that… 
The proof of the pudding will be in the eating, but Google are making all the right noises.
At least it wasn’t the Facebook…
Cross posted from the other thread:
The google road maps are built for real-world accuracy rather than routing simplicity, which is the opposite to waze.
I can’t envisage both types of (conflicting) data existing for long, and waze maps are far less complete.
It seems very much a move to stop competition (apple/Facebook) getting a foothold. But they’re making noises about a hands-off approach for 3years so the competition/monopolies overseers are less inclined to get involved.
My expectation: waze editors invited to join existing google map maker community. Any improvements in routing algorithms subsumed into gMaps
Hi,
Well at least the worm is now fully out of the bag!
Does this me that we can now indiscriminately use Google Maps for data? I suspect we’ll need clarification of this…
Should the Wiki be updated or affirmed?
Also, will Google like us to update their maps whilst we are fixing our Waze maps??!!
Des. . .
I cant find it now, but one of the official posts, stated to keep google and waze maps separate, but they will be updating the tools to include google aerials and SV.
According to this thread,
Would be nice to have the choice of aerials, sometimes bing is more up to date than google
Silly Google, I can download Waze for free
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For those who haven’t seen. Waze have updated with the following. Hi guys!
We’ve been reading all your comments in this forum thread and wanted first to thank you all for the wishes and the support!!
Many of you were wondering about the implications on the product and asking about expected changes in different areas in the company. We understand that such a change might involve different kind of thoughts and concerns, however - as mentioned in our previous posts - all in all no significant changes are expected.
Things that will change however will actually be for the benefit of all (like the access to google’s aerial, street view, search etc)
Even though Waze is now owned by Google, it remains an independant company and keeps operating as such.
That means that the app, brand, map, editor etc - remain managed by the same people, with the same vision and same workflow as before.
As to some specific questions that have been brought up:
- There are currently no plans to merge Waze maps into Google maps’ or vice versa. In some places we may exchange data in the same way we integrated base maps from external providers. You will keep your full editing capabilities on the Waze maps.
- We do plan to exchange traffic and incidents data.
- We are looking to expand our data schema to improve the level of details of our map to be on par with Google’s. To do that, we plan to include other google parameters like number of lanes, legal speed, walking, bicycles parking etc. these will be open for editing and will be the base for future services like max speed warning, walking directions etc. Moreover, we might also add more road types to the editor. Of course all of the above are still very initial plans and not something that will happen in a day or two 
- The map-editor keeps operating exactly as before. The things that might be affected in this field in the foreseeable future are the aerials that will be replaced with google’s aerials and streetview. Some of you asked to keep Bing’s aerial as well and allow to switch between the two - we will check if it’s possible, we’re not sure about it yet.
- There were some questions about the implications of this acquisition on Facebook features and Facebook connect. We have no plans to remove our Facebook features. It is very possible that we will add the ability to connect with a Google accounts in addition to Facebook.
- No changes to expect in the way Ads in the app are managed. Continues the same as today.
Many of you expressed your concerns about Waze’s future after the acquisition by Google.
We want you to know that among other things, one of the biggest interests of Google in Waze is this special DNA of the company and the unique company & community relationship we have.
The community is not only at the top of Waze priorities, but it is also highly important for Google to encourage and preserve this collaborative work with the community. We’re all committed to this DNA and to this fertile relationship.
Of course, no one can guarantee what the far future will hold. We never could, even before joining Google. What we can say for sure is the new path with Google is very promising, very exciting and by far the best option for all parties involved. All of us, in all Waze teams, and in Google - tremendously believe in our product and in our way that brought us here. You guys are the secret ingredient that makes Waze what it is. We are not going anywhere without you.
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