Intent on improving its misfiring Maps application for iOS, Apple is preparing to appoint “ground truth managers” in different parts of the world.
The improving in-house Maps application has been improving steadily since its controversial launch in September 2012 and now, it seems, Apple has decided on its strategy for toppling the almighty Google Maps.
In a series of postings on the company’s jobs website, Apple explained how the seven chosen ‘Maps Tsars’ will manage a team responsible for checking the quality of maps in the respective regions and obtaining said ‘ground truths’.
The successful candidate will also be in charge of picking up changes to the landscape and evaluating the likes of Google Maps to see what the competition is up to in the region. In other words, making sure Apple isn’t falling behind.
If you’re interested in throwing your hat into the ring, here’s the job description for the California-based, Western Europe post:
“The Maps team is searching for a manager for the team responsible for regional map quality and ground truth in Western Europe. Each of our regional teams is responsible for the quality of our maps in their region. This team’s responsibilities include:
- Testing new releases of map code and data in Western Europe
- Collecting ground truth data to allow for analysis of the impact of potential map code or data changes relative to known truth
- Utilizing local expertise to provide feedback about Western Europe-specific mapping details Evaluating competing products in-region relative to our maps.”
The postings indicate that Apple has gotten pretty serious about improving the iOS 6 Maps app since it was forced into a rare and humbling apology late last year over the unfinished nature of the app.
Upon launch, it’s certain that the product did not reflect the quality users have come to associate with Apple products and even became the subject of ridicule for poorly rendered visuals and misplacing or even failing to add famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty.
The company had cut the popular Google Maps app in order to facilitate its new application, which resulted in a huge backlash and the swift launch of a standalone Google Maps application on the App Store. That shot to the top of the App Store charts with 10m downloads in 48 hours.
Heads rolled, including that of then iOS head Scott Forstall and Richard Wilson, who managed the Maps team, but it seems Apple is on the right track, so to speak. After all, who wouldn’t want the job title: “Ground Truth Manager at Apple.”
Via VentureBeat
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
