Mobile retail navigation service provider aisle411 today announced that it has acquired the indoor positioning technology assets and certain patents pending of geo-location company WiLocate. The move is meant to expand aisle411’s existing in-store search and navigation offerings. Terms for the deal were not disclosed.
Aisle411 already offers an indoor map and search solution, covering more than 9,000 locations in the United States, but the acquisition of WiLocate’s assets and IP will enable the company to deliver accurate user location data to iOS and Android smartphones.
WiLocate was co-founded by CEO Ramanujam Jagannath, who previously worked at companies like Broadcom, HP and Kazeon Systems (now EMC).
The company’s positioning solution leverages a building’s existing Wi-Fi infrastructure and sensor information from mobile devices, such as data provided by the gyroscope and compass, to deliver precise location information without the need for any specialized hardware or additional infrastructure.
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Other than that, not much is known about the company.
As for in-store navigation startup aisle411, it recently announced that it hired Kris Kolodziej as its VP of location services. Kolodziej most recently worked on cloud and location services for Verizon Wireless and holds graduate degrees from MIT.
Founded in 2008, the company has offices in St. Louis, Missouri and Palo Alto, California.
(Image Credit: JOSEPH EID for AFP / Getty Images)
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