Thursday, December 21, 2006

Google Maps All Faster

Google has bought European Internet mapping company Endoxon. This further strengthens its position in the battle of maps. Just like hundreds of years ago when famous explorers and sailors captured for the first time the world in charts today there is a race to capture the world in minutia and make it available online to all today. , characterizing the move as part of its effort to improve Google Maps and Google Earth in European markets.

Prior to the acquisition and folding into Google Maps and Google Earth, the Lucerne, Switzerland-based Endoxon provided Internet mapping solutions, mobile services, data processing, cartography and direct marketing products. This acquisition The agreement only covers Endoxon's Internet, mapping and data processing business units but in doing so recognizes Endoxon as a pioneer in Ajax mapping technologies. Ajax is behind the most popular local search products on the market today and reduces the need for page loads resulting in faster search and user ‘stickiness’.

Google who began selling local business advertisement for Google Maps earlier this year potentially sees this acquisition as an opportunity to broaden its business advertising reach in Europe past UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain.

It is clear that Google, in their quest to sell advertising space, have a huge war chest and are clearly set on acquiring not just content but the technologies that support it. But it is advertising that drives there business not content, which is only a means to an end.

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