{"id":3032,"date":"2017-02-01T16:25:17","date_gmt":"2017-02-01T21:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\/"},"modified":"2017-02-01T16:25:17","modified_gmt":"2017-02-01T21:25:17","slug":"google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Maps: the winner that begets winning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every time you\u2019re looking for a restaurant, hair dresser or interview location, Google Maps is there. Every time you\u2019re walking around the block, calling an Uber, or planning an overseas trip, Google Maps is there. Basically, every time you leave your house\/dorm\/socially-minded artists\u2019 commune, Google Maps is there, providing you instant directions to get where you want to go.<\/p>\n

If this sounds like you, then you\u2019re among friends \u2013 in fact, among a billion other people who regularly use Google Maps.[1]<\/a> With a user base like that, it\u2019s hard not to consider Google Maps a winner. However, have you ever considered what drives Google Maps\u2019 continued success? \u00a0How does Google Maps structure its operating and business model, and utilise digital innovations, to become and remain, a winner? The answer all starts with you because\u2026<\/p>\n

It\u2019s powered by a virtuous cycle of crowd-sourced information<\/strong><\/p>\n

In today\u2019s world of always on, always connected smartphones, Google Maps is able to access the location and speed of you and millions of other individuals in real time. Within this data lies tremendous potential.<\/p>\n

As early as 2009, Google Maps started harnessing this information to deliver real-time traffic information. This allows Google Maps to generate more accurate travel time estimates and more efficient navigation recommendations. This geospatial tracking also presents other quirky benefits such as identifying when certain locations (e.g., restaurants) are most popular.<\/p>\n

In addition to crowd-sourcing passively-collected data, Google Maps also asks users to actively contribute. Users can suggest edits or additions, or even draw parts of the map itself using MapMaker.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pic<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018Suggest an edit\u2019 functionality in Google Maps<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Pic<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0MapMaker map editing tools<\/em><\/p>\n

All of this crowd-sourced information helps improve the Google Maps experience, creating a virtuous cycle of a better product and more users. Google Maps can then capture value from businesses who want to leverage its immense user base to deliver targeted advertising.<\/p>\n

\"Pic<\/p>\n

Google Maps\u2019 virtuous cycle of crowd-sourcing<\/em><\/p>\n

Of course, there\u2019s still only so much that humans are capable of doing so\u2026<\/p>\n

It utilises machine learning to scale and create competitive advantage<\/strong><\/p>\n

Machine learning is one of the ultimate buzzwords in the digital space. Basically, it refers to algorithms that allow computers to improve the way they function without necessitating further human intervention. Humans provide examples and the computer figures it out from there using the observations it encounters.<\/p>\n

Machine learning is a key component in Google Maps’ ability to cover the entire world without having human input on every piece of information. One application is using object recognition in conjunction with Street View[3]<\/a> to provide automated navigational guidance on roads and intersections. It is also used to scrape information on local businesses such as opening hours and contact information, improving Google Maps\u2019 comprehensiveness and therefore usefulness.\"Pic<\/a><\/p>\n

Things\u00a0Google Maps\u2019 machine learning algorithms identify from Street View to improve navigation\u00a0[4]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The more data that\u2019s fed into the system, the smarter and more accurate it gets, the further ahead Google Maps races from any competitors that might want to play \u2018catch up\u2019 (*ahem* Apple Maps *ahem*).<\/p>\n

However, rather than just creating a high-functioning product, Google Maps has also embedded itself in the digital ecosystem and made itself indispensable because\u2026<\/p>\n

It powers and captures value from other digital winners<\/strong><\/p>\n

In its wake, Google Maps has left behind a slew of defeated competitors like the physical map and in-car navigation systems. However, it has also created a whole new generation of winners through allowing other applications to use its features via its application program interface (API).<\/p>\n

For the vast majority of API users, the service is entirely free. However, once an API user goes over a certain usage limit, or uses Google Maps in a paid commercial endeavour, Google Maps starts charging based on usage volume.[5]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\u00a0With this business model, Google Maps encourages all developers to utilise it but gets to capture a chunk of the value when a program becomes popular.<\/p>\n

As a result, Google Maps has become a core component of many other digital winners such as Uber (when it first started), TripAdvisor, and Airbnb. No doubt, it will also power many of the winners that have not yet (fully) emerged such as self-driving cars, and virtual and augmented reality \u2013 helping to increase the overall value created for society while making sure that it captures its share.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/google-services-with-1-billion-users-2015-10<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> MapMaker is slated to be shut down in March 2017 and its features migrated to Google Maps<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> A Google project whereby panoramic photos are being taken along streets around the world<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> https:\/\/www.wired.com\/2014\/12\/google-maps-ground-truth\/<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/developers.google.com\/maps\/<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The forces behind how Google Maps keeps winning and helps others to win too<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1088,"featured_media":3034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[1055,673,84,1056,1058,1057,7],"class_list":["post-3032","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-creatingvalue","category-crowdsourcing","category-google","category-machinelearning","category-navigatingtheworld","category-ripphysicalmaps","category-winner"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/assignment\/digital-winners-losers\/","yoast_head":"\nGoogle Maps: the winner that begets winning - Digital Innovation and Transformation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Google Maps: the winner that begets winning - Digital Innovation and Transformation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The forces behind how Google Maps keeps winning and helps others to win too\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Digital Innovation and Transformation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/02\/Google-Maps-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1384\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"676\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/submission\\\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/submission\\\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\\\/\",\"name\":\"Google Maps: the winner that begets winning - Digital Innovation and Transformation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/submission\\\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/submission\\\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2017\\\/02\\\/Google-Maps-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-02-01T21:25:17+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/submission\\\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/submission\\\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/submission\\\/google-maps-the-winner-that-begets-winning\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2017\\\/02\\\/Google-Maps-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-digit\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2017\\\/02\\\/Google-Maps-1.jpg\",\"width\":1384,\"height\":676,\"caption\":\"Portraits of backpackers in the city. 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