Apple Inc. (AAPL) Continues Its Shopping Spree

When Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) acquires another company it is always big news in the tech world. Late last week we talked about its purchase of Locationary (documented here), which is meant to give the company a leg up in the crowdsourced location data market.

If one is good, two is better. This is obviously what Apple is thinking about right now. Reports are swirling that Cupertino has acquired yet another location based app company, this time around going after HopStop.

As the number one ranked transit app for both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iTunes and Google Play, it is easy to see why the company would want to get its hands on it. To date, the app has been downloaded more than three million times.

Patently Apple broke down this story with additional details, discussing the following:

“In April HopStop launched HopStop Live! – the only free, real-time social transit app backed by the power of millions of highly-engaged mobile users across seven countries, 700 transit agencies, 20,000 lines and 750,000 stops. “HopStop Live!” is the first social navigation platform that allows public transportation riders to contribute, receive and share real-time transit information about the stations, lines and transit systems that matter most to them. The new service launched exclusively on the iPhone platform first and later added Android.”

As you can see, this is more than just your average transit app. HopStop takes things to the next level, and this is something Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has to be excited about. With users across seven countries, it will be easy for Cupertino to dig in and pick up where the previous owner left off.

At this point, HopStop is available in more than 500 cities throughout the world and in countries including: the United States, Canada, Australia, England, Russia, France, and New Zealand.

To go along with point-by-point transit and walking directions, the app provides real time information. Its transit maps and schedules, along with locations of nearby bus stops and subway stations, make it popular among those who rely on public transportation.

Although this story is just now picking up momentum, it shows what Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is hoping to accomplish in the future. The HopStop purchase comes just days after the Locationary news.

It will be interesting to see what Cupertino does with these apps in the years to come. If nothing else, it has a large user base at its fingertips.