Workings of Google Map Maker

I was pleasantly surprised that there are more and more takers for Google Map Maker. The tool which is totally dependent on online technology and enthusiast contributions for building comprehensive maps. This idea a decade ago would have been difficult to even imagine ;). The Time lapse video of Madurai , India, sumps up the map making effort very effectively.



I enrolled myself as a member of the Map maker community and I see that this community is buzzing with activity. I congratulate the group in Google which is spearheading this initiative; it’s doing this job with an evangelical fervor. I see that several techniques are being tried out to validate the information provided by the community, which I think is the overriding reservation raised by sections of the mapping community against community map building. I have no doubt to say that validation techniques will get matured over a period of time and the community mapping will surely be one of the ways of building maps.


Surprisingly Pakistan cities are being rapidly updated by the community, how on earth can we imagine that we have an accurate digital map of a Pakistan city; this was only possible through the community initiative. I am sure, Pakistan will not be attractive for some more years for any global map maker ( TeleAtlas/Navteq ). At least, now, Pakistan will have an accurate online world class map which can be used by the community at large.

Low hanging fruit - a myth ?

There is enough research available which professes APAC as future growth engine of the world, which is also, a general consensus of economists. Specific to India, the commonly agreed thesis is that the demand will grow exponentially for all LBS related products and services. These reports emerging from all consultants worth their salt from some time now has made all the multinational companies making a beeline to APAC. Board members are not convinced if there is no India/China/APAC story in their overall strategy

However these markets are in no way “low hanging fruits”, In fact these markets is one of the toughest to crack. In this euphoria of virgin and emerging markets, companies should not forget the key issues which rule these markets and should take adequate steps to address them.


1. Localization: This is easier said done, but this is one of the key “hot button issues” which need to be addressed. All major MNC’s which are successful in India have learned to localize their products and services. Closest example which we can relate is Nokia in India. Brand research says that Nokia is the most trusted brand in India, beating the local giants like TATA. The overriding reason for this feat is told as localization in product design/services/price points/branding etc. Not many in west believe that KFC & Macdonald also sell the Pure Vegetarian delicacies in India; Localization at its best.

2. Innovation: No strategy meeting is complete without mentioning the word Innovation. Innovation should be on how we produce more and more with less and less resources, and on how do we identify and tap new revenue streams in this age where perceived value of products/services are nose diving. Process should always agree to “better solutions always exist”

3. Partnerships/LBS Ecosystem: Corporations need to be proactive in forging as many partnerships as they can in production, sales & services as there is no visible single large pie waiting to be exploited.

4. Operational Excellence: MNC’s need to out run the local bred companies in operational excellence in order to be afloat. MNC’s need to improvise constantly and apply new and challenging bench marks

5. Price Points/Business models/ Competitiveness: In these days of very low perceived value of products and services corporations need to focus on how they differentiate products/services and also ensure that the customer experiences the value differentiation. Basically its “walking-the-talk” Though India being the most price conscious market, it is also believed that price points, though important, is also not the overriding factor.