Google Maps Enters Mobile Workforce Management

There are a number of companies that operate in the enterprise segment offering products for fleet and mobile workforce management, such as Telenav. Now Google is getting into the game with a new product descriptively but somewhat awkwardly called “Google Maps Coordinate.” (Don’t they know about branding consultants?)

The new enterprise tool, which will apparently cost $15 per user as an introductory offer, utilizes all the existing functionality of Google Maps, including indoor maps. It enables mobile teams to manage and share location of dispatched workers as well as see worker location in real time for better coordination. Teams are also able to integrate customized POI data (e.g., cell tower locations, power stations).

This is a logical move for Google given that it has built the mapping infrastructure and platform to enable enterprise usage. According to a discussion in TechCrunch, the idea for the product came from companies already using Google Maps to monitor and coordinate their employees in the field.

It’s not the first example of Maps or Earth being used in enterprises but is perhaps the one that has broadest commercial application. Various estimates put the value of GPS-enabled fleet tracking in the US at roughly $2 or $2.5 billion today.

The product benefits and use cases of Google Maps Coordinate are more fully explained on the Coordinate site.