Apple’s woes regarding its Maps mobile app have been well documented, with the company taking a lot of flak from a lot of (lost) people, especially in the weeks following the app’s launch in September last year.
In the clearest sign yet that the Cupertino-based company is set on making the app something you’ll want to actually tap on and open, Apple has posted job ads on its site for “Maps ground truth managers” at seven locations around the world. If only it’d done that, like, before the app launched.
With so many reports – especially in the early days – of misplaced locations and lack of detail, a bit more ground-related honesty is exactly what Maps needs just now.
According to the job ad, the position would essentially involve managing a team of map specialists charged with the task of testing new releases of map code, gathering “ground truth data”, making use of local mapping experts and comparing Maps locally with competing products such as Google Maps.
Positions are listed for the US, Europe, the Asia Pacific region, Japan, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. In other words, the whole darn world (it put up the same ad for Australia and New Zealand posts last week).
With all the resources Apple has at its disposal, no doubt Maps will one day be a force to be reckoned with – and may even give Google Maps a run for its money – but clearly it isn’t going to happen overnight.
However, Apple’s Maps team is already busy rolling out updates, with Japan getting a makeover and a bunch of new flyover imagery added for many locations around the world.
Once the ground truth managers are installed, things should really get moving for Maps.
[via VentureBeat]
