Update: Baidu Establishes LBS Business Division
TechWeb, 10/17/12
Chinese internet company Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) officially announced today that the company has established an LBS division. Shen Li, the former director of the Baidu App Market, will be in charge of the new division. The department plans to hire 100 developers and has set a goal of reaching over 100 mln users.
At present, Baidu Maps has over 77 mln users, partnerships with more than 40 businesses, and marketing deals with over 4,000 merchants.
According to Baidu Chief Product Analyst Sun Yunfeng, Baidu's LBS consumer services will soon cover restaurants, movie theaters, karaoke halls, malls, hotels, public transportation, super markets, parks and other services. Sun noted that the company plans to develop an independent LBS app that supports both a user generated (UGC) and business generated content (BGC) ecosystem.
Baidu's LBS app will use an applications programming interface (API) to allow its partners and developers to update maps, transportation, satellite imaging and other data in the app. Baidu also plans to provide technology, storage, and operation platforms and support for developers and operator products.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "Rumor: Baidu Establishes LBS Business Division" MD 10/10/12 issue.
Keywords: Internet Baidu LBS BIDU Baidu Maps Sun Yunfeng Shen Li
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