Waze launched a global partner programme early in December and said the first partnership might be concluded in January.
Location World is the largest location-based services (LBS) and solutions company in South America. Based in Ecuador, it is rapidly establishing its presence in other Latin American countries including Panama, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Columbia and Chile. Through the partnership Waze is now available in Ecuador with a fully localised app and website.
LBS customers of Location World include the leading local operators as well as big names in the public and private sector, including Telefonica-Movistar, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Manpower and many others. Location World has the largest local geosearch database in Ecuador, with more than 140,000 entries.
Waze will use Location World's premium-grade maps for its service and, in return, will provide Location World with real-time automated and community-generated map updates and real-time traffic information, transforming it into the most up-to-date map first in Ecuador, then in the rest of Latin America.
Both companies make strategic gains through the partnership. Location World maps become instantly upgraded to real-time maps, constantly updated through community crowd sourcing. Meanwhile Waze gains the use of a professional-grade base map.
