Twenty years ago, we used printed paper maps to help guide us in our decision making regarding locations. Today, many businesses use advanced digital mapping technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite imaging, to guide our location-oriented decision making. These technological improvements have helped businesses in a variety of industries realize increased efficiency.
Google, a global provider of Internet-related products and services, is now trying to gauge the value of their mapping service by asking, “How much is mapping really worth?”. As Google embarks further on their mission to map the entire world, the company is finding it challenging to place a value on their mapping service, as well as on the mapping industry as a whole. Google is passionate about in investing in the geo services industry, and especially in maps, because they believe digital mapping will remain an integral part of how people live and do business.
“According to research, U.S. consumers placed a $37 billion value on mapping services,” said Charlie Hale, a Google policy analyst. “The American industry, defined as those who work with global positioning satellite systems and mapping, generates $73 billion in yearly revenue and employs half a million workers,” Hale said. Worldwide, the geo services industry is valued between $150 billion and $270 billion a year and $90 billion in wages. In the United States alone, this industry employs more than 500,000 people and is worth $73 billion.
At GeoTel Communications, our products integrate telecom infrastructure data with GIS so that business decision makers can accurately analyze this data in a spatial, map-like environment. Our telecom data sets are digitized in GIS and then layered onto high-quality street data or aerial imagery for enhanced study, enabling businesses to locate fiber quickly within a GIS or web-based environment. If you are interested in obtaining fiber maps pertaining to a specific city or metro area, contact GeoTel Communications at (800) 277-2172.
