Tech giant Apple purchases indoor location technology company WiFiSlam
In a move that signals Apple's interest in indoor location technology, the tech giant has acquired US startup WiFiSlam for an estimated $20 million. The deal, however, has left Apple tight-lipped about its intentions for the new acquisition.
WiFiSlam's technology is purely software-based, relying on nearby WiFi networks to determine the indoor location of smartphones. This could potentially be integrated into Apple's existing products or services, offering precise, location-based services for businesses managing large public spaces such as shopping malls or venues.
The only hardware required for WiFiSlam's service is a company's existing WiFi access points. This makes it an attractive solution for businesses looking to enhance customer experiences without investing in additional hardware.
Apple vs. Google: A Comparison
Apple's indoor location solutions, including apps like Nextome and Situm supporting Apple devices, utilize WiFi signals for positioning, often in combination with device sensors. The integration with Apple HomeKit and Siri emphasizes user-friendly control and ecosystem integration.
Google's approach integrates WiFi-based positioning with advanced computer vision to recognize the surroundings through smartphone cameras, enabling quick locking onto the precise location with minimal user action. Google's method does not require additional hardware installation and offers instant location updates with turn-by-turn and augmented reality navigation.
| Aspect | Apple Indoor Location | Google Indoor Location | |-----------------|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | Accuracy | Good, varies with hardware/software combination; typically meter-level accuracy with WiFi and supplementary tech[4][5] | High accuracy (up to 1 meter), rapid refinement after initial fix using computer vision and sensor fusion[2] | | Ease of Use | Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem, HomeKit, Siri voice control; designed for user convenience and privacy[3] | No additional hardware required, instant blue dot; AR navigation and continuous route updates[2] | | Scalability | Dependent on WiFi coverage and third-party app/tech adoption; more common in enterprise solutions[4][5] | Designed to scale globally in environments with WiFi and visual features; no hardware installs needed[2] |
Privacy Concerns
Privacy is a crucial concern when it comes to indoor location services. Apple enforces strong privacy controls, often anonymizing location data and not linking it to user identities in their indoor positioning solutions. Google’s services potentially collect richer data sets including camera scans and detailed environmental mapping, which may raise more significant privacy concerns if data is linked or stored externally.
In summary, Apple's indoor location using WiFi emphasizes ecosystem integration, user privacy, and moderate accuracy, while Google’s indoor location service combines WiFi with advanced computer vision for higher accuracy and richer navigation features but may involve broader data collection with associated privacy trade-offs. Both utilize WiFi as a foundational technology, but Google's integration of computer vision distinguishes its approach in accuracy and scalability.
The acquisition of WiFiSlam by Apple is a significant step towards improving indoor positioning and location-based services, offering potential benefits for both Apple and businesses managing large public spaces. However, the full impact of this acquisition remains to be seen as Apple continues to keep its plans under wraps.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-acquisition-wifislam/apple-acquires-indoor-location-startup-wifislam-for-around-20-million-idUSKBN26H1XE [2] https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/282128-google-maps-indoor-navigation-using-wifi-signals-is-now-available-on-android [3] https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/13/18142334/apple-situm-acquisition-indoor-mapping-location-navigation [4] https://www.nextome.com/ [5] https://situm.com/en/
Data-and-cloud-computing technology plays a significant role in Apple's and Google's indoor location solutions, as both companies integrate WiFi signals for positioning. This technology enables precision, offering user-friendly control and seamless integration with respective ecosystems for Apple and instant navigation updates for Google.
