Apple has bought Poly9, a Q-based online mapping company, and has relocated most of the firm's employees to Apple's Silicon Valley offices, according to a report by French-Canadian news site Cyberpresse. PCWorld was unable to reach either Apple or Poly9 officials to confirm the report, which suggests that Apple plans to develop its own in-house mapping software for its popular mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Apple has bought Poly9, a Quebec-based online mapping company, and has relocated most of the firm’s employees to Apple’s Silicon Valley offices, according to a report by French-Canadian news site Cyberpresse. PCWorld was unable to reach either Apple or Poly9 officials to confirm the report, which suggests that Apple plans to develop its own in-house mapping software for its popular mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Who’s Next on the Acquisition Block? Bloggers Chime InTech Industry’s Biggest M&A Deals of 2009Cupertino currently uses Google Maps as the default mapping app on its mobile hardware. Given the widening rift between Apple and Google, however, it wouldn’t be a shock to learn that Steve Jobs’ team is building a homegrown alternative to Google’s software.So what are Apple’s intentions for Poly9? That remains to be seen, of course, and secretive Apple isn’t a company that discusses its future plans. One possibility is that Apple integrates Poly9 with Siri, a voice-search iPhone app that Apple bought in April. Whatever happens, the Poly9 and Siri deals indicate that Apple may send Google Maps packing in the not-too-distant future. Poly9 also makes Poly9 Globe, a 3D browser-based geolocation tool used by a number of tech firms, including Sanyo, Skype, and LinkedIn, according to the company. Poly9 has also developed application programming interfaces for Apple, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other large corporations.As of Wednesday afternoon, Poly9’s main website was down, possibly a victim of too much traffic resulting from the Apple report. Another (perhaps more likely) scenario is that Apple shuttered the site after news of the sale leaked out. As for the Apple-Google relationship, well, it is becoming quite clear that a messy divorce is inevitable. Google’s Android mobile platform continues to grab market share, partly at the iPhone’s expense. Google is developing an Android music store to challenge iTunes. And Apple’s policies may boot Google’s Admob business from Cupertino’s fledgling iAd mobile ad platform, according to one Google official. Related content news analysis Attackers breach US government agencies through ColdFusion flaw Both incidents targeted outdated and unpatched ColdFusion servers and exploited a known vulnerability. By Lucian Constantin Dec 06, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Advanced Persistent Threats Advanced Persistent Threats news BSIMM 14 finds rapid growth in automated security technology Embrace of a "shift everywhere" philosophy is driving a demand for automated, event-driven software security testing. By John P. Mello Jr. Dec 06, 2023 4 mins Application Security Network Security news Almost 50% of organizations plan to reduce cybersecurity headcounts: Survey While organizations are realizing the need for knowledgeable teams to address unknown threats, they are also looking to reduce their security headcount and infrastructure spending. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 06, 2023 4 mins IT Jobs Security Practices feature 20 years of Patch Tuesday: it’s time to look outside the Windows when fixing vulnerabilities After two decades of regular and indispensable updates, it’s clear that security teams need take a more holistic approach to applying fixes far beyond the Microsoft ecosystem. By Susan Bradley Dec 06, 2023 6 mins Patch Management Software Threat and Vulnerability Management Windows Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe