trend follower schreef op 1 augustus 2016 13:32:
next.ft.com/content/e0dfa45e-5522-11e...
Hierin wordt precies duidelijk waar Uber naar opzoek is.
Last year Uber hired one of the world’s leading digital mapping experts, Brian McClendon, who previously ran Google Maps and helped create Google Earth.
“Accurate maps are at the heart of our service and backbone of our business,” Mr McClendon said in a statement. “The ongoing need for maps tailored to the Uber experience is why we’re doubling down on our investment in mapping.”
One advantage of in-house mapping is greater precision, for example an exact location marker for the main door of a large office building rather than a side door.
This precision is particularly needed in developing countries where Google Maps and addresses tend to be less accurate. This is so problematic that in many non-western countries Uber drivers tend to call passengers to ask their location before a pick-up.
Ride-hailing companies automatically generate a vast set of data about traffic patterns and locations using information from drivers’ and riders’ phones, and Uber already incorporates some of its own mapping technologies into its app.
Google has started to increase the fees that it charges for the use of Google Maps, presenting concerns about whether it might raise prices further in future