Tech giant puts itself on the map.
Amazon has moved stealthily into the space occupied by Google, Apple, Nokia and others in the last two years by launching its own tablet and integrating with its own software offerings.
But it still lacks certain core features of its own. Maps, for example.
Which is why it has now closed a deal to buy 3D mapping company UpNext.
At the moment, if a user wants to access maps on the Kindle Fire, they must download a third-party Android apps or access online mapping services through the browser, but the UpNext acquisition suggests that a more robust Kindle Fire may be on the cards. Perhaps that rumoured Amazon smartphone is closer to reality than we realised.
The founders of UpNext, whose mobile applications cover the US and are currently available on iOS and Android, will move from New York to Seattle to take charge of Amazon’s mapping adventure.
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