Apple is reportedly seeking employees that have experience working on Google Maps, after it became apparent last week that its own Maps app on iOS 6 just doesn't cut it against the competition. In fact, Apple's Maps app has been pronounced a complete failure for the Cupertino, California company, attracting widespread criticism for its inaccurate locations and poor directions.
TechCrunch's unnamed source, who apparently worked at Google Maps on integrating Street View into the service, spilled the beans on Apple's employment strategy.
"Many of my co-workers at Google Maps eventually left when their contracts ended or on their own accord," he said. "One guy looked around for other GIS work and ended up at Apple when a recruiter contacted him. He had heard rumors for a while that Apple was going to develop its own in-house mapping platform, and given his experience at Google, he was an easy hire. Apple went out of their way to bring him down to Cupertino and he's now paid handsomely as a GIS Analyst."
What's perhaps more interesting is that the ex-Google staffer believes that Apple's Maps will be able to complete with Google Maps eventually. He added, "Apple needs to find a way to get its own [five] million miles of street view data, partner with the right folks, and spend a fortune on licensed data - which it can."
Following the user backlash, Apple promised its Maps software will improve, V3 reported:
“We are continuously improving it, and as Maps is a cloud-based solution, the more people use it, the better it will get,” [Apple representative Trudy Muller] is quoted as saying. “We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better.”
Apple's Maps app replaced Google's version on iOS amid increasingly bitter rivalry between the two firms.
The latest version of iOS was released two days ahead of its the iPhone 5, which allowed users of older models to try out the system.
But the mapping app has been met with widespread derision, after users reported glitches, including towns being wrongly located, areas lacking details and even a fictional airport.
