Enter Google; Exit Microsoft, Stage Left
Google Maps Navigation will change the way the location-based services industry does business. How it will change the industry remains to be seen, but a major player offering the same services for free that companies are now enjoying much profit from, is very disconcerting. In other company news, MSN Direct’s use of unused FM radio spectrum was a great idea in 2004. It effectively used unused portions of the FM radio spectrum to deliver such location-based services as real-time traffic, weather and other content. It was a victim of low-cost and evolving technology for LBS delivery. Having Microsoft involved in LBS was a big shot in the arm for the industry. However, it remains to be seen what the company’s plans are to continue in the LBS space in the near future.
