優步將收購部門微軟輿圖技巧
Uber will acquire a portion of Microsoft’s maps technology and extend employment offers to around 100 engineers on Microsoft’s mapping team, the ride-hailing company said on Monday.
Uber would not discuss the terms of the acquisition, which will bring it a data site outside Boulder, Colo., as well as cameras, image-analysis software and a license to the intellectual property.
“Mapping is at the heart of what makes Uber great,” Kristin Carvell, a company spokeswoman, said in a statement. “We’ll continue to work with partners, as well as invest in our own technology, to build the best possible experience for riders and drivers.”
The deal, which was first reported by the technology blog TechCrunch, is the latest move in Uber’s quest to strengthen its mapping research efforts.
Although most Uber services rely on digital maps, much of its interest in mapping is focused on how to improve its carpooling service, UberPool. While Uber relies heavily on mapping technology from Apple, Baidu and especially Google, the company has taken strides to bring as much mapping expertise in-house as possible.
In March, Uber acquired deCarta, a mapping technology start-up. Uber has also aggressively pursued mapping engineering talent throughout Silicon Valley.
And for months, Uber has been avidly competing to buy Nokia Here, the mapping division of the Finnish technology giant, in a deal that could be valued at up to $4 billion, according to several people with direct knowledge of the matter. A small number of bidders are still circling Nokia’s business, according to these people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were not public.
Despite interest from tech companies like Uber and a number of private equity firms, however, a consortium of German automakers — which rely on the mapping unit’s technology for their in-car services — are believed to be in the pole position to land the Nokia division, the people added.
In a statement, Microsoft said the deal on Monday was part of a broader strategy to focus on its core products.
“In keeping with these efforts, we will no longer collect mapping imagery ourselves,” the company said, “and instead will continue to partner with premium content and imagery providers for underlying data while concentrating our resources on the core user experience. With this decision, we will transfer many of our imagery-acquisition operations to Uber.”
優步(Uber)於周一宣告，將收購一部門微軟(Microsoft)的輿圖技巧，並向微軟輿圖團隊的約莫100名工程師供給事情機遇。
收購將為其帶來一個在科羅拉多州博爾德城外的數據中間，和攝像頭、圖象剖析軟件和常識產權允許。優步不會評論辯論收購的詳細條目。
“輿圖對付優步的勝利來講相當主要，”公司談話人克裏絲汀·卡維爾(Kristin Carvell)在一份聲明中說。“咱們將持續與互助火伴互助，同時投資咱們本身的技巧，為搭客和司機帶來大概的絕佳感受。”
這一協定最先由科技博客TechCrunch報導，是優步在加強其輿圖技巧研討結果方面的最新希望。
只管大部門優步的辦事依附數字輿圖，但它在輿圖方面的重要興致會合在若何晉升其拼車辦事——UberPool。只管優步緊張依附蘋果、百度，特別是谷歌的輿圖技巧，但這家公司已在盡量多地在成長本身的輿圖專業技巧。
3月，優步收購了一家輿圖技巧創業公司deCarta。同時，還在矽谷探求輿圖工程方面的人材。
數月以來，優步非常踴躍地競購芬蘭科技巨子諾基亞(Nokia)的輿圖部分諾基亞Here。據幾位對此事有第一手新聞的人士泄漏，協定金額大概高達40億美元。據這幾位人士泄漏，為數未幾的競標者仍在覬覦諾基亞的營業。他們不肯意泄漏姓名，由於會談並非公然的。
這幾位人士彌補稱，只管有優步如許的科技公司和一眾私募股權公司對這一項目感興致，一個由德國汽車制作商構成的財團據信將在收購諾基亞輿圖部分的競爭中位於有益地位，這些廠商的車載體系依附輿圖公司的技巧。
在一份聲明中，微軟稱周一的協定相符其將重點轉移至焦點產物的大計謀。
“為了與這些盡力堅持同等，咱們將再也不自立網絡輿圖影象，”公司稱，“作為替換，咱們將持續與優良內容和影象供給商互助以得到底層數據，並將資本會合到焦點用戶感受上。基於這一決議，咱們將把咱們大批的影象獲得營業讓渡給優步。”
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