Verizon acquires SocialRadar to buff up MapQuest's location data [telecom]

open original image

By Frederic Lardinois

We got word earlier today that Verizon had acquired SocialRadar, a mapping startup founded by Blackboard co-founder Michael Chasen that promises to provide its users with far more accurate location data for businesses - down to where exactly a door is. Reached by phone, Chasen confirmed the acquisition.

Verizon, the corporate parent of TechCrunch and AOL, will use SocialRadar's technology in MapQuest. While you may not spend a lot of time thinking about MapQuest these days (or print out its directions to take on road trips), it's still one of the biggest online and mobile mapping services on the market. Beside its consumer tools, it has a thriving B2B business and a very large number of developers who use its data in their apps.