Apple has reportedly purchased navigation-software company Embark Inc.
According to Bloomberg News, the deal to acquire the firm is all part of Apple’s ongoing efforts to tweak and boost the performance of its embattled mapping system that bombed among die-hard Apple fans last year.
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Apple, said in response to questions about Apple’s plan for Embark.
The plans, however, could be more crystal clear.
This year, Apple has been on an acquisition spree of sorts, gobbling up companies and software vendors that will help remedy Apple’s mapping solution which “was plagued with errors” and prompted a personal apology from Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Last month, Apple agreed to buy online transit-navigation service HopStop.com Inc. and Locationary Inc., which is focused on business-location maps. Earlier this year, Apple also purchased WifiSLAM, a maker of location-identifying technology for when a smartphone user is inside a building.
If you’re not familiar with Embark’s software, it helps provide smartphone users with information about public transportation, an area that was largely overlooked by Apple in its foray into mapping.
