Google to Offer Turn-by-Turn Navigation on Phones (Update1)
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By Brian Womack
Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. is adding a free U.S. turn-by-turn mapping service to the Android mobile-phone operating system, opening up a new source of competition for makers of navigation devices.
The service is part of the updated Android 2.0 software, which was released to developers yesterday. The new maps service, called Google Maps Navigation, will include audio instructions for routes and simple ways to search for businesses, the company said.
Google, which has more than 50 million users for its current mobile-mapping feature, aims to add more so-called cloud services -- programs that are delivered via the Internet. The company offers many of the services for free, a strategy to keep customers loyal and create new opportunities for advertising, Google’s main source of revenue.
“Obviously, we like the price of free and consumers like that as well,” Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt said yesterday at a preview of the service. The company can figure out how to make money from the product later, he said.
The navigation feature uses a phone’s Internet connection to provide the latest maps and business information. To use the service in a car, customers can purchase a cradle for their phone that attaches to the dashboard.
Share | Email | Print | A A A
By Brian Womack
Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. is adding a free U.S. turn-by-turn mapping service to the Android mobile-phone operating system, opening up a new source of competition for makers of navigation devices.
The service is part of the updated Android 2.0 software, which was released to developers yesterday. The new maps service, called Google Maps Navigation, will include audio instructions for routes and simple ways to search for businesses, the company said.
Google, which has more than 50 million users for its current mobile-mapping feature, aims to add more so-called cloud services -- programs that are delivered via the Internet. The company offers many of the services for free, a strategy to keep customers loyal and create new opportunities for advertising, Google’s main source of revenue.
“Obviously, we like the price of free and consumers like that as well,” Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt said yesterday at a preview of the service. The company can figure out how to make money from the product later, he said.
The navigation feature uses a phone’s Internet connection to provide the latest maps and business information. To use the service in a car, customers can purchase a cradle for their phone that attaches to the dashboard.