Google has acquired the Israel-based social navigation app, Waze, for about $1.3bn to improve the features of its Google Maps.
Following the acquisition, Waze’s product development team will stay and operate from Israel, operating separately.
Google VP Brian McClendon wrote in a blog-post that the company is about the prospect of enhancing Google Maps with some of the traffic update features offered by Waze.
"We’ll also work closely with the vibrant Waze community, who are the DNA of this app, to ensure they have what’s needed to grow and prosper," McClendon added.
According to the company, the Waze community and its team have created a source of timely road corrections and updates.
Google is planning to integrate Waze’s services to offer accurate and useful map service.
Founded five-year ago by Uri Levine, software engineer Ehud Shabtai, and Amir Shinar, the Waze’s app combines online maps with updates from other users regarding traffic jams, road works and accidents.
According to the Waze, the service is being used by over 20 million people by June 2012 and the company also claims that its users have covered distance of over 3.2 billion miles while using the service.
