Udpated: Google To Take on Navteq?

My partner Tim O’Reilly likes to call data the “Intel Inside” of Web 2.0 – the idea being that if you own great data, you can license it all over the place. His favorite example is Navteq, the mapping company that powers all sorts of applications, including loads of auto navigation systems.

But now Google is getting in on the game. From the Reuters piece:

Volkswagen AG of Germany’s American unit on Friday said it is working on a prototype vehicle which features Google Inc.’s satellite mapping software to give drivers a bird’s eye view of the road ahead.



And, when Google gets into your car, you think, well, Google itself will be far behind?

(thanks KK)

Update: Many readers point out that Google is not providing data competitive to Navteq, it’s only providing Google Earth satellite data. Yeah, well…not yet folks. But when that hybrid satellite data is populated with comments from the Force of Many on every store and location of note, and when Google buys or borrows and overlays the entire Yellow Pages, and when…well, when that happens, they sure as hell will be….not that that’s the plan. Of course not.