Apple to offer indoor mapping? Snaps up start up Wifislam to help it

It is always interesting to see who Apple acquires as it sometimes has an important impact on the development of their business and products. After all no one was really taking voice control very seriously until Apple stumped up the cash to buy Siri…

So it will be fascinating to see what Apple does with its new purchase indoor-mapping company Wifislam which it has apparently splashed £13m on.

Although the company has plenty to do to catch up with Google and its outdoor maps proposition, it might feel that it has a chance of parity as the popularity of indoor mapping develops.

So what is indoor mapping? Well it is pretty much as it sounds in that maps will now help people navigate their way round larger buildings with an accuracy that has at times been as good as two metres. The technology works by using the ambient Wi-fi signals present in buildings to pinpoint locations.

Apple are of course not saying a great deal about the purchase…

‘Apple invests in smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not comment on our purpose or plans.’

There is a detailed explanation of why Apple might have bought Wifislam here.