Google takes a serious approach to its application

Google will bring together the teams working on Maps and Waze. The decision comes as the US company seeks to save money by cutting costs. Very popular among motorists, Waze has been owned by Google since 2013 and the application has always maintained a certain independence.

The Mountain View company plans no layoffs and will integrate Waze’s 500 employees into its Geo division. The latter governs Map ServicesEarth and Street View.

Waze will continue to be free, but for when?

The merger is an opportunity to “create synergies” between the two applications. However, the company has no plans to merge its two platforms, which will still operate independently. “Google is deeply committed to the Waze brand, its uniqueness, its beloved app, and its community of volunteers and users.”Refers to Waze’s head of public relations on the edge. She adds: “By integrating the Waze team into Jio’s mapping product portfolio, teams will benefit from increased technical collaboration”. Waze now has 150 million monthly active users; Google Maps has crossed the one billion monthly user mark.

If Google wants to be reassured about the future of Waze, this link raises some questions. Since the acquisition, the two tools have tended to converge and have similar functions. The US team has always emphasized Waze’s independence; An observation former CEO Noam Partin didn’t share. A former driver assistance utility manager made the claim last year Service No longer enjoying full freedom. “All of our growth since the acquisition of Vaz is due to the work we have done and the support of the parent company. In retrospect, we could have grown faster and more efficiently if we had been independent.”The leader explained in a LinkedIn article.

Google’s decision to cut costs has been linked to reduced ad revenue. CEO Sundar Pichai said at the start of the school year that he hopes to make the company 20% more efficient. A plan that involves bundling certain products.