Google plans to merge Waze and Google Maps

With over 25 million downloads in 2021, Google Maps is the world's most popular navigation app. However, the app faces stiff competition from Waze Maps.

According to Statista, as of 2021, Waze Maps has been downloaded over 13 million times, suggesting that people in the US seem to like Waze quite a bit. This is because the app focuses on providing drivers with accurate, real-time information to get them to their destination as quickly as possible. Because of its large user base in the US, the data provided by Waze can be more accurate than Google Maps.

While it may sound like the software is a big competitor to Google Maps, the truth is Waze is a subsidiary of Alphabet, a company that also owns Google Maps.

Nearly a decade ago, Waze was acquired by Google for $1.1 billion, and now, according to a new report from the WSJ, Google plans to merge Waze's management team with Google Maps.

A cost-cutting measure

The move to merge Waze's team with Google Maps is said to be aimed at improving Google's efficiency. After the company was hit hard by the global economic downturn, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has laid out a plan to make the company more efficient, including merging product teams with similar goals, according to CNBC.

So, in addition to Waze, the company is also combining the Google Earth and Google StreetView teams into a geography-focused organization. He also added that Waze's current CEO, Neha Parikh, will step down as part of the restructuring.

While Google has pledged to keep Waze's brand identity intact: "Google remains committed to maintaining the unique brand of Waze, a beloved app with a large community of supporters." However, the public will have to wait and see whether Google actually keeps its promise.

According to VOV