Google will pay nearly one billion euros for the 'start-up' Waze

Waze has reached its destination According to various sources consulted by the local media, Google will buy the popular 'start-up' navigation Israeli mixing service traffic maps with active social network. Although the covers in Israel today celebrating the agreement as if their football team had won the World still needs official confirmation . In addition, U.S. regulators may object to the fear of the Google monopoly in this sector. Beyond the price - around 1,300 million dollars (985 million euros) - Google has beaten the other giants like Facebook or Apple to accept the need for the application to keep the company in Israel. In addition, the current management team will continue to lead the firm (with CEO Noam Bardin at the top) and development center will continue to operate in this country for at least the next three years. Waze, created in 2008 by three promoters Israel ( Ehud Shabtai, Amir Shinar, and Uri Levine), has become a mass phenomenon on wheels online. 50 million drivers worldwide now use this free app that provides maps in 110 countries. According to estimates, there have been over 90 million of information on traffic jams, policemen, accidents, etc.. During the last months and parallel to the rumors of his purchase, use has skyrocketed. In March alone, 1.5 million of cuts in Waze smartphones.

Recipe for success

With 107 employees , the company's success is based on fast service mobile satellite navigation, updated maps and especially a active community : a real social network where users are not limited to real-time reporting of the situation on the road. Since the best way to get to the bakery in a small town until the traffic in dense urban center, passingdrivers warnings about what they have been slow to come to a place and your advice on an alternative route . All live, easy and like a child's play. "The users themselves are the ones that streamline and facilitate real time our travels either daily or long distance," says Levine, president of Waze, which compares the impact to that Wikipedia had at the time .Meetings convert GPS users in a social indicator. A service and a network.A winning combination that generates profits. Waze held intensive negotiations and Facebook, but Mark Zuckerberg wanted to move the company to the United States and Israel to dismantle the infrastructure . Google entered the fray with an offer that Waze guys have accepted. Another important factor to take into account in the negotiations is the presence of Google in Israel, with two centers employing 350 people. The agreement will not only make millionaires to promoters and managers of the 'start-up'. 25% of the total end, tax, into the coffers of Israel, a country that today boasts proudly of his most famous industry. A leading country in 'start-ups' and where 57% of the population has' smartphone '. UK only exceeded with 62%, according to a survey commissioned by Google. In Internet navigation smartphones, Israelis ranks first (93%).