Skyhook Wireless
{{Short description|American location technology company}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}{{advert|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Skyhook
| logo = Skyhook logo.svg
| type =
| founder = Ted Morgan and Michael Shean
| key_people = Craig Waggy (CEO)
| industry =
| products = Wi-Fi positioning system
| num_employees = 75
| homepage = {{url|http://www.skyhook.com/}}
| foundation = {{Start date and age|2003}}
| defunct = {{End date and age|2022}}
| fate = Acquired by Qualcomm
| location_city = Boston, Massachusetts
| location_country = United States
| locations =
}}
Skyhook was a location technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in location positioning. Founded in 2003, Skyhook initially focused on geolocating Wi-Fi access points by wardriving for commercial purposes. Skyhook transitioned to developing hybrid positioning.
History
Skyhook was founded in 2003 by Ted Morgan and Michael Shean.{{Cite web|title=Jobs, iPhone have Skyhook pointed in right direction - USATODAY.com|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-01-22-skyhook_N.htm|access-date=2020-09-01|website=usatoday30.usatoday.com}} Skyhook's database was initially gathered through wardriving,[http://www.skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/coverage.php How It Works: Coverage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925111058/http://www.skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/coverage.php |date=2009-09-25 }}, Skyhook when the company sent teams of drivers around the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and selected Asian countries to map out Wi-Fi hotspots.{{Cite news|last=Wortham|first=Jenna|date=2009-05-31|title=Cellphone Locator System Needs No Satellite|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/technology/start-ups/01locate.html|access-date=2020-09-01|issn=0362-4331}}
In April 2010, Apple decided to switch iPhones running on iPhone OS 3.2 and newer to their own location database after previously using a combination of Skyhook's and Google's.{{Cite web |last=Siegler |first=M. G. |date=2010-07-29 |title=In April, Apple Ditched Google And Skyhook In Favor Of Its Own Location Databases |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/07/29/apple-location/ |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}
In September 2010, Skyhook sued Google over the use of Wi-Fi locator technology in cell phones.{{Cite news|last=Furchgott|first=Roy|date=2010-09-15|title=Competitor Sues Google Over Location Software for Smartphones|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/16/technology/16phone.html|access-date=2020-09-01|issn=0362-4331}} The complaint claimed that Andy Rubin, Google's Vice President for Engineering, gave Sanjay K. Jha, Chief Executive of Motorola's mobile devices' division, a "stop ship" order, preventing Motorola from shipping phones with the Android operating system using the Skyhook software. The litigation was settled in 2015, with Skyhook receiving $90 million in a settlement with the tech giant, a third of which was spent on legal fees.{{Cite web|first=Jack |last=Newsham|date=19 May 2015|title=Skyhook got $61 million from Google settlement |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/05/19/skyhook-got-million-from-google-settlement/0q54ppSx2NqLrpyisw9ZZK/story.html|access-date=2020-09-01|work=The Boston Globe|language=en-US}} The figure was shown in a securities filing by Liberty Broadband Corporation, Skyhook's Colorado-based parent company.{{Cite web|title=lbrda_Current folio_10Q|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1611983/000155837015000929/lbrd-20150331x10q.htm|access-date=2020-09-01|website=www.sec.gov}}
In February 2014, Skyhook Wireless was acquired by True Position Inc., a subsidiary of Liberty Broadband.{{cite web |url=http://www.trueposition.com/about-trueposition/news/press-releases/trueposition-acquires-skyhook/ |title=TruePosition Acquires Skyhook Wireless {{!}} TruePosition |website=www.trueposition.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316235023/http://www.trueposition.com/about-trueposition/news/press-releases/trueposition-acquires-skyhook/ |archive-date=2014-03-16}} In 2016, the two companies merged under the Skyhook brand, now under Liberty Broadband, which is a part of the Liberty Media family. Skyhook also introduced a range of products: Retailer Personas, Power Personas, and On-Demand Personas.{{Cite web|date=2016-03-07|title=Skyhook launches its new Personas to help solve a $100B industry problem|url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/03/07/skyhook-launches-its-new-personas-to-help-solve-a-100b-industry-problem/|access-date=2020-09-01|website=VentureBeat|language=en-US}}
In February 2019, Skyhook announced that it was working closely with Qualcomm Technologies to bring Wi-Fi positioning and location-assistance services based on Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear platforms.{{Cite news|title=News of Note—Vodafone Spain confirms 5G 2020 plans; Skyhook's work with Qualcomm, plus more|url=https://www.fiercewireless.com/iot/news-note-vodafone-spain-confirms-5g-2020-plans-skyhook-s-work-qualcomm-plus-more|access-date=2020-09-01|newspaper=Fierce Wireless|date=25 February 2019 |language=en}} In September 2019, Mozilla announced changes to commercial use of its Mozilla Location Service, which resulted in SailfishOS location services not being able to use the service anymore. The changes were made due to patent infringement allegations by Skyhook.{{Cite web|title=A New Policy for Mozilla Location Service|date=3 September 2019 |url=https://blog.mozilla.org/services/2019/09/03/a-new-policy-for-mozilla-location-service/|access-date=2021-01-11|language=en}} In February 2020, Deutsche Telekom announced that Skyhook became one of its technology partners.{{Cite web|work=Deutsche Telekom AG|title=Deutsche Telekom wins new partners for IoT Solution Optimizer|date=13 February 2020 |url=https://www.telekom.com/en/media/media-information/archive/new-partners-for-iot-solution-optimizer-594246|access-date=2020-09-01|language=en}} In April 2020, Skyhook partnered with Kyocera to provide location services to DuraXV Extreme, a rugged flip phone.{{Cite web|date=2020-04-16|title=Kyocera Selects Skyhook to Power Precision Location Services for Rugged DuraXV Extreme|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200416005077/en/Kyocera-Selects-Skyhook-Power-Precision-Location-Services|access-date=2020-09-01|website=www.businesswire.com|language=en}} Skyhook and Combain announced a collaboration in a common press release issued in April 2020.{{Cite web |title=Skyhook, Combain Announce Collaboration to Provide End-to-End Positioning |url=https://www.skyhook.com/blog/skyhook-combain-announce-collaboration-to-provide-robust-end-to-end-positioning-service}}
In 2022, Qualcomm acquired Skyhook.{{Cite web|date=2023-02-12|title=Qualcomm Expands Offering to Simplify and Accelerate IoT Across Multiple Industries
|url=https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2023/02/qualcomm-expands-offering-to-simplify-and-accelerate-iot-across-|access-date=2024-05-14|website=www.qualcomm.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2022-05-22|title=Qualcomm Completes Skyhook Acquisition|url=https://locationbusinessnews.com/qualcomm-completes-skyhook-acquisition|access-date=2024-05-14|website=www.locationbusinessnews.com|language=en}}
Services
Skyhook offered a software development kit, which allowed developers to create location-enabled applications using Skyhook's software. The SDK supported Android 2.2 (Froyo), 2.3.x (Gingerbread), 4.0.x (Ice Cream Sandwich), 4.1.x (Jelly Bean), 4.4 (KitKat), 5.0-5.1 (Lollipop), and 6.0 (Marshmallow), including forked platforms such as the Kindle Fire, along with Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.[http://www.skyhookwireless.com/location-technology/sdk.php Skyhook SDK]