Apple has acquired 3D mapping company C3 Technologies 9to5 Mac reported today. This is Apple’s 3rd mapping acquisition and 2nd 3D mapping acquisition. In 2009 Apple acquired mapping company Placebase, and last year it acquired 3D mapping company Poly9.

C3 Technology provides technology that generates detailed 3D maps with, as 9to5Mac puts it, “virtually no input from humans.” It automatically builds maps from cameras using “declassified missile targeting methods.”

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9to5Mac notes that Apple has historically used its own mapping application based on Google Maps. Google Maps recently announced that it’s clamping down on its API usage, and of course Apple has been distancing itself from Google ever since the release of the first Android devices. It makes perfect sense for Apple to seek to build its own mapping and location services.

This demonstrate a couple things:

1. Google is struggling in the data-as-a-service market, which will require it to monetize its APIs and provide enterprise level support. Microsoft has been capitalizing on this, but Google is starting to improve.

2. Apple has software service ambitions beyond iCloud. Building its own map technologies will give Apple a number of ways to generate revenue, from location based deals and advertising to licensing the API to third party developers.