Strategeek

There has been coverage recently of Google’s provision of software for mobile phones, and particularly for China Mobile. This is a very interesting step for Google and it will be extremely interesting to see if it increases the demand for mobile internet, something that has been slow to take off due to the cost of using it and the limited appeal of the content available. The lack of choice has also been considered to be a factor in delaying uptake in this area – something that Google will need to think about as this may have an impact on perceptions of its brand.

Nonetheless, this paves the way for something that I would like to see Google try out: satellite navigation using Google Maps (and possibly Google Earth). As far as I can see, Apple’s iPhone goes part of the way towards this by giving Google Maps functionality on its phone, but as far as I am aware the iPhone does not give sat nav functionality. Other phones do have sat nav included in them.

This has been tried before – finding places and being guided to them was part of the original 3G mobile phone offering in Japan and usage of it was not high. Now, we are at or approaching the tipping point in sat nav uptake. People are far more likely to be using it than they were before, and the way in which they are using it is changing. My TomTom contains some useful information about places of interest, but the information on it is very sparse. Imagine the power of having Google Maps on there instead – so that anyone could advertise their business on it. We could use Google search functionality to find the place we were looking for by name (or by category and getting recommendations) and then check the opening hours and contact details – all from our sat nav unit. Google seems to have made a strategic decision not to enter into hardware provision, and this is understandable. But it could make this happen in two ways – either by partnering with mobile phone networks and manufacturers, or by partnering with sat nav makers. It could even partner with telematics firms – insurers are increasingly trying to find ways to put black boxes in cars, Google could work with them to make those units into sat nav units which could double as internet access points. In all of these cases, the map advertisements could pay the cost of the search, making it free. Then search could proliferate.

So, Google, if you’re reading this, why not give it a try?