Waze attributes its success to Apple Maps’ launch failures

In an interview with Business Insider, Waze CEO Noam Bardin said that Apple Maps’ launch failures were pivotal in the early success of Waze.

Waze is a mobile navigation app that utilizes real-time user input and data to deliver results that take construction, traffic and more into account. Google acquired the app in 2013 for $1.3 billion USD.

Bardin sat down for an interview the day before Apple Maps launched in 2012, according to his chat with Business Insider. During the interview, he let it slip that he thought Apple Maps was going to be rough. It turns out he was right.

As more and more issues came up with Maps, Tim Cook stepped up to apologize on behalf of Apple. In his apology, Cook wrote iPhone users should use alternatives from Microsoft, Google and Waze while Apple addressed the issues with Maps.

Bardin told Business Insider that was Waze’s “coming out moment”. The company still celebrates an annual Tim Cook day since he helped put them on the map.

According to Google Trends, interest in Waze was already on the upswing before Cook penned his apology. Notably, the more substantial spike came in June 2013 when Google announced that it was acquiring the company.

Waze almost ended up on BlackBerry devices first, Bardin told Business Insider. However, the team decided to switch to iOS early in the development. Bardin said he doesn’t think Waze would be here today if the company didn’t make that switch.

Source: Business Insider