Roger Fingas
Alphabet's Google on Friday confirmed a deal to sell off its satellite mapping business, Terra Bella, to Planet Labs — which despite earlier speculation is unlikely to affect Google Maps or by extension its main competition, Apple Maps.
Google will continue to license imaging data from Planet in a multi-year contract, the latter company said. It will, however, be turning over control of its seven SkySat satellites, which have submeter resolution enabling extremely high detail.
Planet was already operating a much larger fleet of its own satellites, but with a lower resolution between 3 and 5 meters (about 9.8 to 16.4 feet).
When the deal was still in talks reports suggested that Alphabet and Google were trying to cut costs, given the expense of launching and operating satellites. Planet, meanwhile, was allegedly struggling to find customers.
As a part of the acquisition, "a number" of Terra Bella workers will make the jump to Planet. How many people might remain at Google or get laid off was unmentioned, as were any other terms of the deal.
Past rumors hinted that Planet might be offering a combination of cash and equity, and as a startup, even tapping into venture funding to help pay.
If nothing else the sale may put Google and Apple on a more level playing field. Apple is heavily reliant on third-party mapping data, even if the company has been driving vehicles around cities to collect its own.
Christine McKee
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Wesley Hilliard
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12 Comments
We'll they'll need the money. Their new fully operational Death Star Isn't likely to come on line for another 5 years. So it's a good call by alphabet. The Death Star will have many additional functionalities
Notice something?
Goog is always selling off companies/tech it acquired while I can't remember the last time Apple sold any part of its business. Can you?
tells me Apple actually buys things it can utilize and....utilizes them bringing in profit.
Wall Street will not consider this a failure. It will be overlooked and likely considered a smart move by Google to shed some fat to build a leaner company. If Apple were to sell any unit of its business it would be said that Apple is falling apart and would be all over the internet as precursor to Apple's doom. I'm sure the analysts will be saying that will be much easier for Google to reach $1000 a share now that more fat is being cut away. Supposedly investors love Google for its moonshot projects which in the future will being bringing in huge amounts of revenue. How's that Google Loon doing?