Is Google Earth disruptive?

Ed Parson

I am not sure if new technologies like Google Earth are disruptive. People have often spoken about Google and Micorsoft being disruptive. It may be true in certain context.If you see the natural evolution the geospatial industry in last twenty years, I think that both have put many elements in a place in a form that has a widespread appeal. I think it has increased people’s awareness in geospatial information, certainly in the mass market. Actually, five or ten years before there was not much demand but with the involvement of big companies, much bigger footprints are now available. It surely has increased awareness.

Maybe what Google and Microsoft have done, will be disruptive to people who are creating information. With Google Earth in place, there is much wider demand and better understanding what is possible and what’s available. For the countries where spatial information have limited availability and accessibility, such questions may be raised by the their citizens why they are not as well mapped and well represented as Western Europe and North America. I think such question may drive some changes and many may consider Google as disruptive in such situations and contexts.