Apple Inc.'s Maps app that was introduced in 2012 received tepid reviews that led to the hiring of Sinisa Durekovic, the principal architect of the satellite navigation system utilized by well-known luxury carmakers. Durekovic was a former software engineer at Harman who first joined the iPhone maker in an unstipulated role in October.

Although news about the hiring of Durekovic circulates online, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller declined to provide comment on such. Even the spokesmen from Harman did not provide any immediate comment or respond to the hiring. As reported by Bloomberg Technology, Durekovic who has patented a mapping data system, which is designed to prevent car collisions, also did not respond when invited for an interview.

The effort of upgrading the Maps app this year was intensified by Apple Inc. and its CEO Tim Cook. Just last month, Cook headed the opening of a development center with 4,000 employees in Hyderabad, India, as noted by Cult of Mac. According to Cook, these employees will concentrate on mapping, while the $1 billion investment of Apple in Didi Chuxing, a Chinese company, may provide access to mapping data and driver behavior.

Originally introduced by Apple as "iOS in the Car," the CarPlay app allows iPhone users to utilize Maps app and turn-by-turn navigation interface. The CarPlay that was used by many luxury car brands also provides  iMessage, phone calls, music playback and access to additional apps like Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Beats Radio, Podcasts and Spotify.

Although these apps are intended to provide peace of mind, some automakers remain cautious in using systems produced by the iPhone maker and those developed by Alphabet Inc.'s Google. This is because automakers realize that when vehicles lean heavily on software integration, this fast-growing technology industry will become highly profitable and will steal large market share. An autonomous driving capability design is also being developed by Apple Inc. and Google.