Apple buys a lot of of companies.
The challenge for us reporter types is that they typically aren’t the big-name firms that are required to be disclosed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
So, sometimes it can take a bit to figure out just who and what Apple has bought. On Monday, a report from 9to5Mac added two names — BroadMap and Catch — to Apple’s acquisition list, saying that it believed that both companies had been bought earlier this year.
We’re hearing that both companies have been bought by Apple, though both acquisitions are indeed months old.
Apple essentially confirmed the acquisitions with the statement it gives when it has bought something: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” the company said in a statement.
BroadMap, like a number of other Apple acquisitions this year, is aimed at improving Apple’s mapping capabilities, while Catch offered (until it was shut down) a note-taking application.
Update: Technically speaking, Apple acquired the team and technology behind BroadMap, but not the company or its name.
