Apple hires for Maps 'ground truth' jobs outside Australia
updated 04:47 pm EDT, Wed March 27, 2013
Looks to improve global accuracy of Maps
Apple has begun hiring for Maps "ground truth" workers in several more regions around the globe, expanding beyond recent Australian recruiting. The new regions include the US, eastern and western Europe, Japan, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and the Middle East and Africa. In each case Apple is searching for a manager whose team is expected to test new code and data, comparing remotely-collected maps against "known truths" about a region's geography, as well as content in rival mapping applications. In the US, a team must use "local expertise" to gather additional feedback.
The hiring suggests that Apple is working quickly to try to improve the accuracy of iOS 6 Maps content. Complaints began almost immediately after iOS 6's release; the situation was particularly bad in Australia, where one inaccuracy stranded a number of people over 40 miles away from their destination, in some cases forcing emergency services to come to the rescue. Prior to iOS 6 Apple relied on Google for Maps data, which is generally considered more accurate.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: 03-27-13
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The ironic thing about the job listing on Apple's New Zealand website (which I appreciate is just a filtered version from the main jobs site) is when you click on the details of it (https://jobs.apple.com/nz/search#&t=0&sb=req_open_dt&so=1&lo=0*NZL&pN=0) the job is listed as being based in "Auckland, Otago".
Auckland (the city) and Otago (the region) are in fact at opposite ends of the country...Auckland near the top of the North Island and Otago near the bottom of the South Island.
I'd suggest the first thing the NZ-based ground truth specialist work on is getting more accurate locations listed in Apple jobs ;-)