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Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

techcrunch.com

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Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#31

Post by ciparis »

droithomme wrote: post #20
moocow01 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"$300k and a $1m signing bonus" - Where is that figure coming from?

It's coming from how much minimally you are going to need to lure away a mapping expert from his stable and appreciated job at Google, which includes options, for a place that is opportunistic, unpleasant and unlikely to have much options upside. Bonus value based on the case of a few years ago, run of the mill employees getting $500k and up signing bonuses, plus generous options, to leave Google for pre-IPO Facebook…

> for a place that is opportunistic, unpleasant and unlikely to have much options upside

It sounds like you assume:

1) working at apple sucks because they never innovate

2) apple stock never goes up

You might want to check both of those assumptions.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#32

Post by captaintacos »

blinkingled wrote: post #30

So the anti-poaching agreement with Google will now bite Apple right when they badly need current Google Maps staff? It's the data silly - and if they are recruiting analysts that correct data manually or by writing scripts (per endtime's speculation) - $85K is believable. But if they don't have complete data and they aren't running their own street view cars - how much would correcting existing data help in actually…

Not if the anti-poaching agreement makes no specific mention about "CONTRACTING employees" of Google. If that is the case, then it's turkey shoot for Apple.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#33

Post by josephagoss »

fosk wrote: post #13

This should have been done before actually releasing the product to M of people.

This is completely on the mark, think about it, Apple have massively damaged their reputation through this. Perhaps they could have removed a default map app for now and speed through Google's map app, as they have made one. and wait till a few months to release their own version, then for next year make it default.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#34

Post by lbotos »

josephagoss wrote: post #33
fosk wrote: post #13

This should have been done before actually releasing the product to M of people.

This is completely on the mark, think about it, Apple have massively damaged their reputation through this. Perhaps they could have removed a default map app for now and speed through Google's map app, as they have made one. and wait till a few months to release their own version, then for next year make it default.

This would be essentially "Admitting defeat" and would cause a lot more issues with PR/Branding/Customer Psyche IMO.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#35

Post by fpgeek »

bo1024 wrote: post #28
mercuryrising wrote: post #24

I'm confused - can someone explain to me the benefit of Apple developing it's own mapping software? Apple is not full of PhD's studying problems for the sake of it, they are a collection of people creating products that push their bar higher and higher. They make commissions from digital goods being purchased on their devices. This is why I'm confused. They don't have computer science PhD's to throw at challenging pr…

It's all about the data. The more you know, the better you can serve your users. But to get data on people, you need people using your products.

Um, what data can Apple get from iOS 6 Maps that they couldn't get previously? Remember, they wrote the iOS 5 Maps app, Google was just the information source. They could (and did) have gathered whatever data they wanted. It is quite possible they didn't want some data that they should have gathered, but that's a different issue entirely.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#36

Post by taligent »

protomyth wrote: post #15

Apple bought three mapping companies: C3 Technologies, Poly9, and PlaceBase before this. I wonder what the heck happened on the data side.

Apple chose not to license from third parties. That is what happened.

Here in Australia Google licenses map and POI data from Whereis/YellowPages. Apple doesn't and it shows.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#37

Post by taligent »

ziadbc wrote: post #16
protomyth wrote: post #15

Apple bought three mapping companies: C3 Technologies, Poly9, and PlaceBase before this. I wonder what the heck happened on the data side.

Given the way Google implemented gathering street view data, I wouldn't be surprised if Google has more map data in the USA than all the other map companies combined.

It's hilarious how many people fell for Google's PR efforts.

Street View is great for finding faults in existing data but the fact is that it is the same old mapping/directory companies that do most of the work.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#38

Post by blinkingled »

captaintacos wrote: post #32
blinkingled wrote: post #30

So the anti-poaching agreement with Google will now bite Apple right when they badly need current Google Maps staff? It's the data silly - and if they are recruiting analysts that correct data manually or by writing scripts (per endtime's speculation) - $85K is believable. But if they don't have complete data and they aren't running their own street view cars - how much would correcting existing data help in actually…

Not if the anti-poaching agreement makes no specific mention about "CONTRACTING employees" of Google. If that is the case, then it's turkey shoot for Apple.

I was more thinking of regular Google maps employees that do more than just data collection/correction - Apple would benefit a lot from poaching them in absence of the anti-poaching agreement.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#39

Post by taligent »

mercuryrising wrote: post #24

I'm confused - can someone explain to me the benefit of Apple developing it's own mapping software? Apple is not full of PhD's studying problems for the sake of it, they are a collection of people creating products that push their bar higher and higher. They make commissions from digital goods being purchased on their devices. This is why I'm confused. They don't have computer science PhD's to throw at challenging pr…

Because maps are a core use case of a smartphone hence Apple needs a good implementation.

Re: Source: Apple Aggressively Recruiting Ex-Google Maps Staff To Build Out iOS Maps

#40

Post by saalweachter »

ghshephard wrote: post #23
droithomme wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's coming from how much minimally you are going to need to lure away a mapping expert from his stable and appreciated job at Google, which includes options, for a place that is opportunistic, unpleasant and unlikely to have much options upside. Bonus value based on the case of a few years ago, run of the mill employees getting $500k and up signing bonuses, plus generous options, to leave Google for pre-IPO Facebook…

"There are fewer than 10 people worldwide Apple can hire with the skills they need to organize this right." That's an interesting number. I'm why you chose "10" instead of 5, 20, 50, 100 or 1000? There are a lot of smart people out there, who can get things done. If there were truly only a 100 people world wide that could turn the mapping ship around, then they are worth considerably more than $300K/Year and a "$1mm…

Eh, I think it's in the best interest of the employed to throw around numbers like $300k / year and $1mm bonus just to shift the window. If people say them enough, eventually someone will pay it. Maybe to one of us!
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