Google Reduces Involvement in Mapping App Waze with Product Consolidation
According to an email from the head of the mapping division, CNBC reported on Tuesday that Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is reducing employment at Waze, a mapping app, as it combines the unit with its own map products.
Google announced in December that it would merge the Waze and Google Maps teams to consolidate processes, making it part of the Google Geo division, its real-world mapping products that include Google Maps, Google Earth and Street View.
The company is changing its Waze strategy to include Google ads instead of using a separate ad system, leading to layoffs, a CNBC report said, citing an email from Chris Phillips, head of the Geo division.
Phillips said Google will notify advertisers and partners of the move on Wednesday.
Google, which bought Waze for about $1.3 billion in 2013, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
