TomTom, Garmin, Magellan move over ... Google is about to revolutionize yet another industry. Bill Slawski posted a really interesting blog post (New Reason to Submit Businesses to Google Maps: Google Navigator and Personal Information Management Integration) this week talking about a new patent filed by Google, in which Google Navigator is expected to add some very interesting twists to mobile GPS sytems.
Points of Similarity:
Some of the interesting aspects of Google Navigator are:
Google Navigator has most of the routine functionality of in-car GPS systems:
- 1. its speech enabled
2. offers real-time traffic information
3. includes map coverage of the world
4. permits you to search for and navigate to specific businesses or addresses
Points of Differentiation:
But in true Google fashion; its also added/adding a few more features that will likely eventually lead to it displacing the incumbant in-car GPS products:
- 1. Google street view ... see and visualize images from actual (turns, storefronts, etc) locations before having to take action at those locations.
- friends and social network reviews of each dry cleaner, post office, and children's toy store along the route
- possibly even recommend dry cleaners, post offices, and children's toy stores based on a combination of proximity and opinions of those in your social network.
Courtesy Google2. Google Satellite View - the ability to switch to Google Satellite view to see things from a different perspective, based on actual images.
3. Locations to Satisfy Items From Task Lists - the possible incorporation of locations along the route, that can satisfy 'to do's' from your 'task list'. So for example, if your task list includes mailing a letter, getting dry cleaning done, and shopping for a birthday gift for your niece, according to Bill, Google Navigator may incorporate icons for nearby post offices, dry cleaning shops, and shopping centers. Brilliant!
4. Augmented Reality - given that GPS systems themselves are really a form of augmented reality, I'll suggest that Google will take this one step further, and will possibly overlay information such as:
Though a working example could not be found, this video gives an indication of augmented reality in its most simple form.
5. Incorporation of Google Search - finally, Google Navigator will likely provide powerful search functionality to find businesses 'nearby' your route or destination. Google already has a speech enabled search engine in 1-800-Goog-411., which would be easy enough to adapt.
Summary:
All in all, its seems as though Garmin, TomTom, and Magellan are in Google's cross hairs, and there is little they can do about it. Google can once again leverage its incredible strengths, and make it virtually impossible for incumbant companies to survive.
It begs the question; do you see this as a positive or negative? Is Google becoming too big and powerful, or are such changes welcome?
Regardless of our perspective, businesses with brick and mortar locations MUST submit to Google Maps ... as Google just upped the ante.
Really? You write this glowing article about a new Google product… and then you end it with the question: “Is Google becoming too big and powerful, or are such changes welcome?”
I’m getting really tired of this. If I hear ONE more person come down on Google because they are “getting big” I’m going start getting REALLY upset. My son’s teacher lectured him when he suggested the school install the Chrome browser because they are big (and therefore evil).
Personally I’m going to wait until I actually see them do evil before I pronounce them as such. The irony here is just about all of us have had our lives improved in some way by Google (just their search engine alone has improved our lives hugely – never mind gmail, maps, books, youtube, docs, and a huge load of other stuff). You’d think people would be happy with their success, and look forward to them finding new ways to serve us.
.-= Stephen Akins recently posted: Google Android Desktop Image =-.
Agreed Stephen … thanks for commenting. I now know where you stand 🙂 The reality of the matter is that alot of people do think Google is getting too big and powerful … you’ll note though that I didn’t state an opinion, only asked the question. For those that think this, I wanted to gauge whether it changed their opinion of this revolutionary technology or not. If it does, then it suggests that perhaps TomTom, Magellan, and Garmin can continue to carve a niche for themselves long term.
Interesting article and Stephen does have a point but even Google has competition that it needs to worry about. Maybe they have become a little saggy around the middle as it is difficult for other businesses to compete against them. They dominated adwords forever and a day now Facebook is going to take a huge chunk of their business away because they got caught napping. I noticed the facebook thumbsup icon at the bottom of your article this is appearing everywhere now, music, clothing, mmmm I wonder what they could use that for, look out google
Interesting article and Stephen does have a point but even Google has competition that it needs to worry about. Maybe they have become a little saggy around the middle as it is difficult for other businesses to compete against them. They dominated adwords forever and a day now Facebook is going to take a huge chunk of their business away because they got caught napping. I noticed the facebook thumbsup icon at the bottom of your article this is appearing everywhere now, music, clothing, mmmm I wonder what they could use that for, look out google
+1
It’s a great idea for content. After all what you write will be content that somebody has actually been asking for.
Yup the reasons for being on Google Maps are now building fast.. I recently joined all the latest Google services like home and reader and maps and all as mobile access is going to change everything!
.-= Geoff Dodd – Australia recently posted: Review of Shelly Ryan’s Instant Profit Machine =-.