Google Buys Traffic Analyst Urban Engines

Google has acquired location-based analytics firm Urban Engines, which will be incorporated into its Maps product.

Urban Engines' founders were reportedly inspired by a traffic jam to move from a focus on 'making the web faster, better and more personalized' to one on 'making it easy to navigate the real world'. This includes using sensors on smartphones and moving cars to understand commuting patterns and congestion, and 'make urban living better'. The firm's Warp software analyzes and models commuter flow data at large scale, working with 'smart cities' and more generally with transportation leaders to try and improve the lot of travellers.

On its blog, the company said: 'Location analytics is an important focus for both Urban Engines and Google, and we're excited to combine forces to help organizations better understand how the world moves. There's a lot we look forward to building together, and we can't wait to show you what's next'.

Google Maps leader Jen Fitzpatrick told online publication Business Insider her team is trying to build 'the richest, deepest, most detailed understanding of the real world that's ever existed'.

The acquired firm is online at www.urbanengines.com .