Waze Launches International Partner Program Enabling Local Map-Owners Worldwide to Convert Static Maps Into Live, Navigable Maps

Waze's Crowdsourced Map Building Platform and Strong Consumer Appeal Enables Map-Owners to Enhance Their Offering With Real-Time Traffic and Map Data, While Reducing Operational Costs

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Waze, the first worldwide provider of community-based live maps and real-time road information, today announced a new partnership program geared towards local map providers, worldwide. On the tail of the company’s successful international launch and strong traction with international users, waze has begun to partner with local map providers globally.

“The navigation market is developing rapidly with the proliferation of GPS-enabled smartphones”

Currently, local companies across the globe have valuable map data, but are threatened by competition from global players, commoditization of map data and increased costs associated with maintaining and upgrading their data set to remain competitive. The partnership program forms a mutually beneficial relationship in which waze and its users are provided with a base map for accelerating community growth, while the partner benefits include turning their map from a static and costly-to-update resource, into a real-time, navigable asset with significantly lower operational costs. Partners also expand their data set to include real-time traffic, community updates and reports.

“The navigation market is developing rapidly with the proliferation of GPS-enabled smartphones,” says Noam Bardin, waze’s CEO. “At the same time, user expectations from maps are growing, while revenue-per-user falls as the industry migrates to advertising supported business models. We’re interested in facilitating our partner’s access to the next generation of maps via the most efficient means possible: our real-time map building and live crowdsourcing technology.”

With alliances currently being in fostered in South America and the Far East, Waze expects to announce the launch of its first partnerships in January 2010. Interested partners can contact waze for more information at [e-mail].

How waze’s Crowdsourcing Works

Crowdsourced maps have dramatically shortened the months-long update cycles of map industry giants, and waze has taken this concept one step further; to an even faster rate of map building and updating. Instead of relying on users who edit the map from their home computers, waze empowers anyone to build maps within a game-like environment, passively, as they drive around with the company’s free navigation app open on their smartphone.

While users drive, smart algorithms are used to analyze their GPS points and other driver-generated data, which is then converted into a grid of the roads, including turn restrictions and historical speeds plus real-time traffic information. Users can also take an active role, filing traffic and hazard reports with a few easy clicks when not driving.

More About waze

Waze is a free mobile navigation application that allows drivers to build and use live maps, real-time traffic updates and turn-by-turn navigation to improve their daily commute. Waze also has a social element that gives drivers the ability to actively update one other on traffic, police traps, construction, speed cams and more - and because it’s 100% user-generated, the more people who use waze, the better (and more fun) it gets!

To learn more about waze online, visit www.waze.com or @waze on Twitter.