Maps and Waze Set to Merge
According to WSJ, Google is merging Waze into Google’s Maps team, as the search giant faces pressure to streamline operations and cut costs. Waze CEO Neha Parikh will exit her role following a transition period, and Google is maintaining Waze as a stand-alone service. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is looking to improve efficiency and activist hedge fund TCI Fund Management has called on Alphabet to aggressively cut costs. Google acquired Waze in 2013 for $1.1 billion, and Waze counts 151 million monthly active users. Some features from Waze have been integrated into the Google Maps flagship product.
Questions for the community
What do you think of Google’s decision to merge the Waze team with the Maps team? Do you think this will be a successful move? What advantages or disadvantages do you think this reorg will have?
