Uber is absorbing about 100 engineers who work on mapping technology for Microsoft Bing, including a team based in Sunnyvale, accelerating the ride-booking company s ambition to build its own detailed mapping platform and — perhaps someday — declare independence from Google.
The Uber-Microsoft deal gives the San Francisco ride service a branch of Microsoft s mapping division that works on imagery acquisition and map data analysis and processing. Some of that team is based at Microsoft s Silicon Valley campus in Sunnyvale, while others are in Seattle and Boulder. Uber is also acquiring a data center in Boulder.
We re excited about the talent and technology this acquisition brings, Uber said in an emailed statement. Mapping is at the heart of what makes Uber great. So 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.
Neither company disclosed the terms of the deal. This is at least the second big mapping purchase for Uber after it acquired San Jose-based deCarta in March.
Above: A screenshot from the Uber app, which currently relies heavily on Google Maps.
