Google urges firms to use their geo-spatial data with Earth Builder

Google has announced a cloud-based enterprise tool designed to enable enterprises to make use of their geo-spatial data and store it in the cloud.

Google Earth Builder is an extension of the popular Google Maps and Google Earth services.

Users will be able to upload, process and store geo-spatial data in the cloud and publish mapping data without needing any technical knowledge, the firm said.

Key features include the ability to create mapping layers and publish them from any computer or internet-enabled device.

Administrators can offload raw data, process and style it on-the-fly and publish it internally or externally on a variety of platforms, explained Sanjay Patel, Google's European head of geo enterprise.

"Over 80 per cent of data within firms contains geo-referencing in one way or another. Google Earth builder will prove useful to a wide range of industries including imagery, construction and energy providers as well as developers," he told V3.co.uk.

"The use of the cloud significantly reduces IT costs, and allows users to focus on data instead of having to maintain and update software and hardware."

The software is set to be released in the third quarter and although prices are yet to be confirmed, Patel noted that there will be a range of packages on offer.

Google Earth Builder supports all major browsers and updates will be pushed out through these platforms. Data is securely stored and backed up to multiple datacentres for near-instant recovery, he added.