Facebook in talks to buy Waze for $1B
ynetnews.com
ynetnews.com
If they are doing due diligence now, they would need to look into the GPL source code. Waze (at least in the past) was based in part on RoadMap which is GPL - https://github.com/mkoloberdin/waze/
That was version 2-2.4. Now they are at version 3.6, so maybe they rewrote the relevant code.
As far as the R&D centers, this can't be compared, because both those companies (Snaptu, Face.com) were much smaller than Waze. Facebook may be interested in an R&D center in Israel too, and is just looking for an appropriate base on which to build it.
I guess this seems to put Facebook more on a collision course with Google, after Facebook Home.
However, I tend to favor Google Maps unless I'm anticipating significant traffic because Waze tends to pick "over-optimized routes" (i.e. 5 extra turns to save 30 seconds). Which is great when you're trying to escape traffic, annoying when you're just trying to get somewhere normally.
I've been kind of hoping they and FourSquare would get together somehow.
Battery suck on Waze for frivolous reasons is massive. No one uses it for much else than cop tracking.... sometimes to send out directions to friends and groups, but that is also something that Google could do when that day comes around when they get their glass studded head out of their nether-regions.
There are alternatives for reporting cops, but they are also not really all that great of a tool.
IMO, Facebook has two big important things it needs to do: (a) Maintain its position the the social network where everyone has an updated profile & (b) figure out their ad business. Anything with real potential to impact those two is a potentially important buy. Instagram was/is a way to do the first by keeping people's photos on "facebook". Waze is a little less clear, but it has potential to meaningfully impact both. I can think of several paths that the buy could impact either A or B in a way that increases the total value of Facebook by more than $1b^.
I agree that valuations seem arbitrary when it's users, data & synergies instead of NPV (or book value). But that just means it's hard to put a number on it. It's just as hard to say that it's too high as it is to say it is too low.
^BTW, Facebook's market cap is currently $64b. Assuming they belive in that valuation, an acquisition that raises facebook's value by 2% is a good idea.
"Waze is requesting permission to post on your wall without your permission." Cancel
"We're sorry, but Waze has to."
"Josh found directions to Buffalo Wild Wings!"
Although, I do have to say it feels like there are less users now than before some of the recent updates that seem to have really kind of messed with the mapping and routing.
Waze tops this, though - there are no roads in London, according to the Waze live map!
Why do people use Waze?
With some of the recent updates, mapping and routing has just gotten worse and essentially useless, so I just use it to tag and be warned of cops checking speed while using Google for actual directions.
I dread to think what FB will do/attempt to do with the 'Waze experience' and the near-realtime info pinpointing all the users.
(Waze Area Manager and non FB user)
Facebook's long and troubled history with personal privacy, and tendency to combine disparate bits of personal data in ways that some people find invasive.
(and in response to the "why all the FB hate" comment: I don't hate FB. I used it rather a lot. However, I try to limit the amount of information FB knows about me as much as reasonably possible. Where I am nearly up-to-the-minute, and not only current and historical location data as well as a decent ability to predict where I'm going on most given days, that's too much information for me to willingly hand over to FB. Or anyone.
Waze knows where I am, but not necessarily who I am. FB knows who I am, but not necessarily where I am.
I don't trust either company with both data sets.
Waze is probably expecting the same outlook if this deal goes through.
Apple with its billions apparently isn't interested in exploring disparate R&D projects beyond their core interests. Microsoft apparently is and isn't having much luck. Google used to but not so much anymore, and is producing glasses. Facebook is voraciously subsuming R&D and design talent.</stereotypes>
Does seem like they mainly would prefer to pay an exorbitant fee for the gold nuggets, rather than fund all the failures in-house.
:D
EDIT: And Waze does not do walking/public transportation directions.
Waze has more of an interactive experience (with the ability to report hazards and backups, and some random reward system), but it is more of a focused app than Google Nav.
But as with anything YMMV (Sorry, obligatory pun)