Information technology behemoth Google has made quite a few strategic acquisitions in the 21^st century, but the most important for users in Costa Rica has been its purchase of mobile app Waze. Now that Google Maps and Waze are under the same umbrella, getting around in Costa Rica has become easier for smartphone users.

Although smartphone users around the world will benefit from Google’s acquisition of Waze, Costa Rica has been a case study in maximum user adaptation with regard to Waze. In 2012, the Costa Rica Star reported on comments by CEO Noam Bardin about how Ticos were using the social media-powered navigation and geolocation app:

“users in places like Costa Rica have been actively mapping out the entire country themselves, just so that they can give others drivers access to Waze. It’s really incredible.”

Mr. Bardin has explained that Waze is an ecosystem of drivers, amateur cartographers and traffic spotters that encourage each other to help find their way around. The Waze advantage in Costa Rica has been its social aspect and perfect timing. The app became available a few years ago, just when the ongoing Tico car-craze was beginning. New automobile owners in Costa Rica were excited to explore the country behind the steering wheel, but they were disappointed at the poor condition of the roads, the lack of efficient road signs, the scarce availability of accurate street maps, and the increasing traffic jams. Waze empowers uses to address all this issues.

In 2011, the Costa Rica Star described Waze as:

“a unique mobile app in the sense that it combines a proprietary map with the power of social integration. In a country where street addresses are virtually non-existent, and where people still rely on old landmarks that are no longer around, Waze is a breath of fresh air.”

Two years later, Waze users in Costa Rica have even mapped the intricate mess of unmarked boulevards, cul de sacs and one-way streets of the Hatillo communities. Thousands of drivers depend on Waze and the app’s ability to allow users to provide real-time traffic conditions. Users are also encouraged to label map items and landmarks to improve the Waze mapping systems of the entire country. Posting photographs of “secret spots” can also encourage rural tourism.

Now that Waze has been acquired by Google, some improvements are beginning to emerge. For example, the new Google Maps Navigation app for Android devices has some improvements that are clearly based on Waze. Tech journalist Pablo Fonseca of La Nacion has gone as far as declaring Google Maps Navigation and its integration with Google Now as being superior to Waze. Mr. Fonseca even went as far as suggesting that Waze users could uninstall the app since Google Navigation consumes much less battery energy.

It is very unlikely that Waze users in Costa Rica will ditch the app in favor of Google Navigation. First of all, Google Maps for the iOS does not work as well; therefore, iPhone users are more likely to stick with Waze for the time being. Second, the Waze community in Costa Rica is vibrant; people here truly enjoy providing useful information -not only about traffic but also about street fairs, protests, landmarks, points of interest, fuel prices, good restaurants, etc. To this end, Waze succeeds with its points and virtual rewards system. Hopefully Google Maps and Waze will both improve before they fully integrate.