Will Google kill the GPS device industry?
NY Times: "In a move that is likely to be seen as an attack on yet another industry, Google on Wednesday introduced a free navigation system for mobile phones that offers turn-by-turn directions.
Analysts said that Google’s free service, if successful, could erode the sales of GPS navigation devices made by companies like Garmin and TomTom and of navigation services offered by cellphone carriers.
The new service will be available as part of the latest version of Google Maps for Mobile, which will be released along the new version of Google’s Android operating for mobile phones, called Android 2.0. Separately on Wednesday, Motorola and Verizon Wireless were to unveil Droid, the first smartphone to be powered by Android 2.0.
Google executives said that the company’s navigation service is better than some rival systems because it is always connected to the Internet. It can, for example, provide live updates on traffic conditions and conduct searches for restaurants along the route. It also recognizes voice commands."
Do you think that this will kill the GPS device industry?
Analysts said that Google’s free service, if successful, could erode the sales of GPS navigation devices made by companies like Garmin and TomTom and of navigation services offered by cellphone carriers.
The new service will be available as part of the latest version of Google Maps for Mobile, which will be released along the new version of Google’s Android operating for mobile phones, called Android 2.0. Separately on Wednesday, Motorola and Verizon Wireless were to unveil Droid, the first smartphone to be powered by Android 2.0.
Google executives said that the company’s navigation service is better than some rival systems because it is always connected to the Internet. It can, for example, provide live updates on traffic conditions and conduct searches for restaurants along the route. It also recognizes voice commands."
Do you think that this will kill the GPS device industry?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mark Huckabee on -
Yes! What will Garmin's business model be now?
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Permalink Reply by Doctolero on -
Yes and praise Jebus because most people haven't got a clue on how to use the damn things. If I have try and resolve another clients stupidity on how to use the damn things I will tear my hair out.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Huckabee on
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Check out this article from my local newspaper about a rock slide: here It says that drivers have driven all the way right up to the slide despite numerous flashing warning signs "because their GPS told them to". Note: the commenter on there named Astronaut is me.
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Permalink Reply by Doctolero on
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That article is typical of what I hear. And then the companies that manufacture them state that the software needs an update. Then they have the cheek to charge for it!
They are taking advantage of people being stupid!
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Permalink Reply by sAm on -
Doesn't matter. It's the consumer that benefits the most from Google offering free services. It's awesome, pure and simple.
Can't wait.
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Permalink Reply by Gofaster on -
they'll just start making android powered gps devices that'll link to their android handsets. The "they" will likely change but who cares?
if anyone should be worried, its apple. and microsoft. and garmin. and about a dozen other companies.
Even though you look at every little piece of google and say separately THAT piece of google isn't as good... like MS office is better than google docs except google docs is free. And google docs is interconnected. And maybe to start garmin navi will be better but google navi is free and interconnected. And droid isn't as good as the iphone but its nearly as good and its OS is open... relatively and interconnects to everything.
So someday you could be walking down the street with your android powered handset having a google video chat with your architect who just designed your future house in google sketchup on a vacant plot of land. WHen you get to the house you see the 3d model through the phone and then... you go inside that home where, through your phone you're able to view a 3d rendering of a possible interior that your interior designer just finished mocking up. You could then click on one of the theoretical couches to pull up a list of fabric swatches and a price matrix from a google spreadsheet your interior designer setup and swap out the fabric before you buy it.
You want to conference your husband or wife in to see what they think so you ring them up on their android powered device and they take a look at what you've picked and they like it but s/he wants to change the floor finish color to a more neutral wood.
Done. Ordered via google checkout. The schematics and dimensions of the new floor are sent to the vendor.
The day you'll be able to do that isn't far off. and as the tech for bandwidth improves and each disparate piece of google continues to evolve the threat that google poses to those companies will continue to grow.
As long as google continues to dominate search, the need for all these freebie apps to make money will be low and they'll likely continue to do whats best for the app and we the consumer. The second their search market share begins to erode I'm sure goog's attitude will change significantly.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Huckabee on
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This is very true and I look forward to that day --- however, every time in history when a small group becomes central to a people's way of life they have eventually abused that power. The people who run Google now are very, very smart and I believe they are not evil. They really want to shape our society in a positive way. But they won't be pulling the strings forever. At some point someone's greed is going to get the better of them. And that's when this model starts to look ugly.
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Permalink Reply by Graham S on -
there will always be a need for a true GPS for people like myself who use them when adventuring in 4wds cross country. You need to be able to access detailed topographic maps etc which google maps is not able to provide. Google maps are fine to a degree in city usage but they aren't as up to date as they should be. I also still can't understand why people use them all the time when driving around, are they that lost everytime they drive or do they have that short attention spans that they can't remember where tey are going?
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