Kevin,
Indeed, how to make money using it or not using it (by providing value over
and above, either with or without GoogleMaps). The pace, in face, the
acceleration of, solutions using GoogleMaps is astonishing. FastCompany has
a great article this month on the secrets to Google's success (besides the
obvious). Another point re: Google suggested that their engineers and
tinkerers are "free" from the normal business constraints of justifying the
R&D by potential market, and they make that determination based on other
organizational principles that align (or not) with the mission, and then, if
the new idea passes that threshhold, another group of brainiacs finds a
business model (some iteration of advertising) that works with it and takes
it to the next level, eventually finding its way to the public debut.
Content is kind. If Google can't find someone to provide "it" so that they
can make $$ from it, then my bet is that they will make it themselves if the
economic model is compelling enough. Amazon's A9.com BlockView technology
is very cool, 20 million store front images linked to location, but compared
to Google, it's uptake is a footnote in history and its only 6 months old or
so.
I can see a time, not so far away, where everything you search for on Google
will be spatially-related, that is, tied to a GoogleMap in one form or
another. As covered by Adena today, eatnow.com actually performs some "very
GIS" analysis by perform point in poly analysis, and then gives a map or
listings of restaurants that deliver to a particular address. How cool is
that! SRC.com uses googlemaps to publish census data in an nice interface
that is fast, relevant and free of the bells and whistles that cost
thousands of dollars a year. Hundreds, if not thousands of other niche
applications are in the works right now as this thread grows, and indeed,
some will be making money, even if only on the coattails of google.
Anthony
-----Original Message-----
From: gislist-bounces@lists.geocomm.com
[mailto:gislist-bounces@lists.geocomm.com] On Behalf Of Kevin Whitlock
Sent: Friday, October 21, 2005 1:12 PM
To: gislist@lists.thinkburst.com
Subject: Re: [gislist] GoogleMaps?
Ahhh! Finally someone started a thread that reflects what we in the office
have been talking about for weeks...namely, where does Google Earth fit into
the traditional GIS, mapping and geomatics industry? Or rather, what can't
it provide that we can? Or, more truthfully, can we make some money from
this?
The bottom line is data. Fidelity, accuracy, relevancy, locality, etc. etc.
However, provide an open source API and more methods to add your own data
(layers) or methods to include Google Earth in other applications...?
Kevin
www.pat.ca
-----Original Message-----
From: gislist-bounces@lists.geocomm.com
[mailto:gislist-bounces@lists.geocomm.com] On Behalf Of Frank Warmerdam
Sent: Friday, October 21, 2005 9:15 AM
To: Anthony Quartararo
Cc: Adena.Schutzberg@directionsmag.com: gislist@lists.thinkburst.com
Subject: Re: [gislist] GoogleMaps?
On 10/21/05, Anthony Quartararo <ajq3@spatialnetworks.com> wrote:
> It's my opinion that Google will continue to add content, and
> eventually make GoogleEarth free too, and never charge a fee for it,
> even for industrial strength, commercial "for-profit" applications.
> They will however, even if not yet determined, find a business model
> that involves advertising revenues, that will "pay" for all this, and
> they will simply ignore anyone using GoogleMaps in a commercial
application.
>
> So, what's wrong with this picture? Nothing. However, ...
Anthony,
I think one aspect you are missing is that the data companies (ie.
DigitalGlobe, etc) will not put up with this picture indefinately.
If Google doesn't enforce their usage restrictions, then the data companies
will apply pressure to Google.
One interesting possibliity is that Google might just purchase an unlimited
license for the data it wants. They may have to settle for "second best"
data in some cases in order to get the right to use as they wish, but if
this happens it could really have an effect.
> What we don't see in the landscape are things like "desktop GIS",
> "GIS",
or
> even "OGC" [note to the faithful: not a dig], and so, what will we [as
> an entrenched, slow moving, traditional industry] do when the only
> place
people
> go (practically speaking) for anything geospatial will be the virtual
> (mammoth) googleplex... ?
To be honest I don't see googlemaps mashups replacing the need for
enterprise gis for folks doing resources, facilities or other infrastructure
mapping work. A municipality can't use googlemaps as the cadastral
database.
I see googlemaps putting pressure on data co
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