Apple Insider 22 August 2013
Apple has acquired yet another mapping company, this time snapping up Embark, a move that has the potential to bring public transit information to Apple’s in-house Maps app. Sources familiar with the deal say that Apple acquired Embark’s entire team and will directly integrate Embark’s technology into Apple Maps. News of the acquisition broke on Friday, with Jessica Lessin securing a confirmation from an Apple spokesperson that the Embark buy had occurred.
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time,” the spokesperson said, “and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Embark also makes apps for Google’s Android platform, and the future of those applications is as yet unknown, as Apple declined to comment. Previous Apple acquisitions of cross-platform developers have resulted in a loss of support for those competing platforms, as was the case with HopStop’s Windows Phone app and Chomp’s Android compatibility when Apple bought out those developers.
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