Online global traffic mapping start-up Waze Inc. has fired 15 of its 32 temporary employees. The laid-off employees were students who were mapping US roads for the company's free navigation software.

The company also has 35 employees at its Ra'anana offices. The company has been trying for a while to break into the US market.

"Waze CEO Noam Bardin told "Globes", "We had a staff of 30 people mapping US roads because we had no community there." Waze relies on users of its software to map roads as they drive. "The reason for the layoffs is because we're now transferring the mapping to the community, and the other employees in this program will be moved to support."

Waze is a roads navigation and traffic congestion program. The company's business model is based on the sale of information about traffic to various companies, which will use the data in their navigation programs.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 20, 2009

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