alarm:clock

Web 2.0 - Thursday, April 5, 2007

Google MyMaps Puts The Hurt On Maps Mashups Like Platial

platial.png
Portland, OR-based Platial recently raised $2.4M in a Series A from Kleiner Perkins, Omidyar Network, Ram Shriram, and Ron Conway. Given that some of these guys invested in Google you might have thought that they would see around the corner to Google's just launched MyMaps. This is the danger of creating a startup based on a set of features that extend another product based on it’s API.

In Europe, another funded Google maps mashup is Plazes, which has raised €2.7M from Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures which invested €2.7m in its first round last February.

Says Mashable: "It’s a shame that Google would launch such a product: startups like Platial and Frappr, not to mention thousands of smaller sites, have built businesses around social maps (provided by Google Maps, Yahoo Maps or both). By providing its own service, Google has instantly killed off at least a few hundred of those mashed-up tools."

There is no comment yet on Platial's blog. Platial says on GigaOm: "We really don´t like to view Plazes as a map mash-up. Plazes bridges your physical presence with your digital identity. It allows you to publish your current geo-presence through different check-in channels like our new SMS service. It is about where you are and where your friends are. Not about POIs plotted on a map. That presence data is presented in many different ways, from the Website on a Google Map to your blog badge or as a text message to your friends."

For Google, this represents a developer relations headache as its launch may cast a chilling effect on developers who thought they could dance with Google and not get elbowed in the face.

Read - Google Launches MyMaps - Platial Gets Screwed (Mashable)
Read - Google MyMaps Smashes Mash-ups (Gigaom)

Post a comment




Remember Me?


More Recent Articles

ThumbThe Weekly tech:stocker Roundup

Sunday November 30, 2008

After taking a few days off to spend some time with the family, the staff at tech:stocker was happy to return on the fourth straight day of gains in the Dow. Up almost 10% for the week, it almost makes you wish there was trading tomorrow so we didn'... Full Story

ThumbiPhone Video App Platform LiveRail Raises Funds

Wednesday November 26, 2008

We covered then London-based LiveRail back in July 2007 when it launched. Today we catch up the video ad network and learn that it has re-located to San Francisco and has raised $500 in Series A funding led by Pond Venture Partners. LiveRail launche... Full Story

Listen to alarm:clock

alarm:clock © 2004-2008

Swift Internet