Uber secures Bing Maps technology
Uber have long desired to create its own mapping technology, currently relying on Google, Apple and Baidu for its services. However it has now confirmed partnership with Bing Maps to help achieve this. A team of Microsoft employees will now work for the cab-hailing service, specifically working on Bing's imagery acquisition which powers satellite and street view style pictures. 
Uber has acquired some of the technology behind Bing Maps, along with several Microsoft employees, as part of the ride-hailing company's ongoing efforts to build out its own mapping tech.

About 100 Microsoft employees will join Uber as a result of the deal, which was was first reported(opens in a new tab) by TechCrunch.

[seealso URL= "http://mashable.com/2015/06/03/uber-5th-anniversary"]

Uber confirmed the deal to Mashable Monday, noting it involves portions of the team and technology behind Bing Maps, but declined to disclose terms.

"We’re excited about the talent and technology this acquisition brings," a spokesperson told Mashable. "Mapping is at the heart of what makes Uber great. So we’ll continue to work with partners, as well as invest in our own technology, to build the best possible experience for riders and drivers."

The deal appears to be focused on Bing Maps' imagery acquisition division, which powers some of the satellite and Street View-style pictures within Bing Maps. In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company made the decision to "transfer" its imagery acquisition operations as part of a broader effort "to focus the company's efforts around our core business strategy."

Over the past year, we have taken many actions to focus the company’s efforts around our core business strategy. In keeping with these efforts, we will no longer collect mapping imagery ourselves, and instead will continue to partner with premium content and imagery providers for underlying data while concentrating our resources on the core user experience. With this decision, we will transfer many of our imagery acquisition operations to Uber.

As Uber expands, building out its own maps will be increasingly important to the company. Currently its app relies on maps from Google, Apple and Baidu, but Uber has been trying to build out its own mapping team recently. It was reportedly among several companies that bid on Nokia's HERE(opens in a new tab) maps; it also hired the former head of Google Maps earlier this month(opens in a new tab).