Google has proven in the past that they are willing and able to challenge any and everyone in order to move into new territories. They’ve once again decided to enter a new arena this week, as they announced Google Maps Navigation. This is their entrance into the personal GPS navigation battle that has typically been fought with companies such as TomTom and Garmin. But Google is entering with a completely different strategy, and that strategy is extremely Google-like, right to it’s core.
Google Maps Navigation will be available on Android powered devices sporting the 2.0 (“Eclair”) update. This currently only concerns mobile phones. As a result of the specific targeting of mobile phones, Google is able to do something with their navigation software that most companies can’t rely on. They can pretty much count on internet connectivity to power their software. When you decide to navigate to an area, everything is sent to you via that internet connection. Your search results come from the internet. Your maps come from the internet. Your points of interest come from the internet. Anywhere you can access your phone’s data service, you can access Google Maps Navigation.
Google has assured users that the maps program caches several minutes of data, so that service that fades in and out should go unnoticed. The benefits of relying on internet access are numerous, however. For instance, with my TomTom navigation unit, I currently have to sync it to my PC every time I want to update it. With the Google service, it uses the Google Cloud to keep the program up to date. Because Google already has a bazillion different services, it already has the data it needs. It can pull POI (Points of Interest) data such as gas stations, restaurants, businesses, etc from their directories. It can pull it’s maps, satellite views, street views, and traffic data from their respective services.
Google also uses it’s voice search capabilities, which are already present on it’s android devices, to allow users to search for places. You can search by address, by business name, or by a vague description that may be well known on the internet (Such as, “Navigate to the museum in San Francisco with the King Tut exhibit”).
In the end, Google ties everything together with a package that is going to put GPS navigation device makers on their heels. Everything works together very well. Users can place different “layers” over their maps (Such as showing satellite imagery in order to get a better look at the actual layout of your surroundings). They can do searches in the middle of their route (To find gas or food, for example). The options are virtually endless, and exceed all but possibly the most expensive GPS devices on the market.
If the situation wasn’t already bad enough, Google plans to offer this service with the typical Google twist: For Free. Most GPS devices are also free after you buy the device. But you generally have to pay premiums for map updates anytime they become available. My TomTom runs about $70 per map update, with subscriptions available to slightly reduce the price, for example. In addition, some items (such as Traffic and Gas data) cost additional fees, and sometimes require additional devices to work.
Google has a hit on their hands, and the initial stock hits that Garmin and TomTom took show that. For the moment, the only relief exists in the fact that the service is limited to Android based phones. But given Google’s relationships with the iPhone and other devices, that likely won’t last long. My only question in this situation is, How do the phone providers feel about Google stealing their navigation service business? My Sprint plan includes Sprint Navigation, but other providers sell their services at a premium.
