cars news 10: Apple Recruits Harman Exec to Improve Navigation Services

Apple has plucked yet another executive from the auto realm to help expand its in-car technology business, reports Automotive News. Sinisa Durekovic, the architect of navigation systems used by a variety of automakers, has joined Apple to bolster the automaker’s mapping services.

Before he joined Apple in an unspecified role last October, Durekovic served as the chief engineer for navigation at Harman International Industries. Luxury automakers including Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz all use the satellite navigation systems he created. The appointment could be a big boon for Apple, considering its Maps app has received plenty of criticism since it launched in 2012.

Apple also opened a development center in Hyderabad, India, last month to improve its mapping capabilities. Recently, the tech giant plunked down $1 billion in a Chinese ride sharing company called Didi, and this investment could give Apple crucial mapping data and information about driver behavior in the world’s largest auto market.

Just like Google, Apple wants to play a major role in the automotive business. Apple has rolled out CarPlay, available in a growing number of cars, so drivers can integrate their phone into a vehicle’s entertainment system. And rumor has it that Apple has been thinking of creating its own car.

Durekovic has plenty of experience for the job. He started his career in 1994 at Navigon, a GPS company now owned by Garmin. From then on, he’s spent more than 20 years in the satellite nav business, and he has secured a patent for technology that uses mapping data to prevent car crashes.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)