If you are anything like me you probably woke up this morning and thought "This world could really use yet another location check in service to compete with FourSquare, Facebook, Gowalla etc. etc."
You are in luck! Google has decided to join the fray in the check in services with its newest addition to Google Maps. This is another example of a disturbing trend Google has shown were rather than to innovate something they show up late to the competitions party, check out out the party favors the host is providing. Then they go home and next week throw a competing party with similar party favors and better hors d'oeuvres.
- Hotmail - GMail
- Mapquest - Google Maps
- Paypal - Google Checkout
- YouTube - Google Video (and then purchasing YouTube)
- iOs UI - Android UI
- Wordpress - Blogger
- AIM - GTalk
- GrandCentral - Google Voice (via acquisition)
- Groupon - Goopon (I'm jumping the gun here, but it'll happen)
Maybe most importantly: Search.
There is no denying Google does a good job when they put out a product. I use gmail for my personal mail, Google Apps for Your Domain for various of my corporate clients, Google Maps & Navi, GTalk, Android and Google Voice on a daily basis and I like them all. So maybe they 'borrow' the concept, but they also improve on it.
The new check in service integrates into Google Latitude (or Google Stalk as we like to call it) seamlessly. It has an obvious polished UI that comes straight from the polish of Google Maps.
The checkin feature basically just changes the location notation on your contacts. The feature that will probably get me to use it at my top 3 or 4 watering holes and restaurants is the automatic check-in feature.
The world obviously doesn't need another check-in service but Google needs to to open a new revenue stream that is currently untapped for them.
I expect this to be a step towards the roll out of their coupon service (goopon or whatever they'll call it) after they failed to acquire Groupon. It's going to allow Google to have brick and mortar establishments spend advertising dollars with them.
"The First time you check in at Sam's Sandwiches you get 10% off you entire bill" or other deals along that line.
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