Uber is one of the fastest growing, most popular, yet controversial apps around today. Uber just got a good ally on their quest for greatness…or infamy.
Uber acquired DeCarta, a location and search app based out of San Jose, CA. DeCarta focuses on mapping, local searches, and turn-by-term navigation. One Uber spokesperson says DeCarta will help them improve services that are dependent on maps. This acquisition is also newsworthy because Uber rarely, if ever, makes mergers. This is coming from a rising company that’s found in 45 nations. This company is making other global deals too, like partnering with Starwood Hotels (Sheraton, Le Meridien ?and other high end hotels). They’re offering preferred guests points toward free hotels stays for using Uber. Unlike many mergers, DeCarta won’t have to change…that much. Thirty of forty employees will keep their DeCarta jobs. They can still keeps their name and Uber will be using their mapping system internally.
This is going to be great for Uber, especially for their drivers. They can get to their specific locations faster and easier with this acquisition. It’s good for the customer too. No customer wants to waste time and money going in circles over a lost location. DeCarta has the tools to prevent customers from enduring waste of cash, tardiness and flat out humiliation. So this is a smart acquisition on Uber’s part. I also must give props to DeCarta for keeping layoffs and shake ups to a minimum. I’ve read about so many mergers in which half the employees were laid off and the acquired company was virtually forgotten about by the next year. I find it amazing, and inspiring, this is the first company purchase they made, at least to my knowledge. Will this be a successful merger? Will there be more in the future? For all my Uber haters, are you rooting against these possibilities?