In a move that is likely to be seen as an attack on yet another industry, Google on Wednesday introduced a free navigation system for mobile phones that offers turn-by-turn directions, The New York Times reports.
Analysts said that Google’s free service, if successful, could erode the sales of GPS navigation devices made by companies like Garmin and TomTom and of navigation services offered by cellphone carriers. “There’s no doubt that those guys are going to be disrupted,” said Greg Sterling, an analyst with Opus Research.
Google has sowed animosity in various business sectors by giving away products and services that others charge for, from digital voice mail to Web analytics tools.