Apple has snatched up yet another company with Internet mapping skills with the purchase of Quebec-based Poly9. The company is known for its code that adds features to other services such as Google Maps, Google Earth, and MapQuest, according to Cyberpresse.
Apple and Poly9 are keeping quiet about the purchase, although nearly all of the company’s staff has relocated to the Silicon Valley area. The two employees that left Poly9 instead of moving to California refused to talk about the purchase claiming they’re bound by nondisclosure agreements.
Poly9 is the second Internet map-related company Apple has purchased. Apple bought PlaceBase, known for its online mapping services that ride on top of products like Google Maps, about a year ago.
Apple isn’t saying what plans it has for either company, although it seems likely that both will be used to develop some form of enhanced location-based services for the Mac OS X and iOS platforms.