Google recently introduced their new Google Maps program. The new design of Google Maps is the most radical change since the service was first offered eight years ago.
“The future of search starts with maps. That’s where all the commerce is going to be done and that’s what everyone’s fighting out,” said John Malloy, a partner at BlueRun Ventures. “To monetize mobile traffic, maps are a critical ingredient.”
The new Google Maps pulls information from multiple Google offerings to make the service more useful. When users go to a new city, Google will recommend places to go based on their preferences and those of people with similar tastes.
“We can build a unique map for every place and every click,” said Bernhard Seefeld, the product management director for Google Maps.
The service will start off as an opt-in for consumers and will come to mobile later. There will be opportunities for ad placements on the service for notification ads and coupons for local businesses.
“It’s getting technology out of the way,” said Google CEO Larry Page. “All the context that’s in your life, all these different sensors are going to pick that up and make your life better.”
“It’s a multiscreen world,” said Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president for Android, Chrome and Google Apps, talking about laptops and phones and the future of Internet-connected watches, thermostats, cars and Google Glass. “These are all displays with a lot of computing power and sensors, and that’s why we view this as one of the most important moments in computing.”
Source: NYTtimes.com
