> > Navigation and traffic data come to Google Maps in India > > More than a billion people rely on Google Maps every month to get the most > accurate and reliable directions from point A to point B. We on the Google > Maps team, however, know that simply calculating a route is just the > beginning when it comes to helping people find their way across town or > across the continent. That’s why we have worked to improve the > comprehensiveness and usefulness of Google Maps through advanced features > like voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation and live traffic updates. > > We’re excited today to announce that both of these features are now available > for Google Maps users in India — one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing > markets for online map services worldwide. Google Maps Navigation (Beta) is > free and accessible to any smartphone user running Android 2.2 or later, and > live traffic information is visible on both the mobile and desktop versions > of Google Maps. > > Google Maps Navigation takes advantage of your mobile Internet connection and > Google’s comprehensive map data to help you plan your journeys with > confidence. In India, you’ll have access to information about any of the > thousands of cities, towns, roads, and points of interest that have been > mapped by users in Google Map Maker. In other words, whether you’re heading > to the Bengaluru airport for a business trip or visiting Agra’s world-famous > Taj Mahal for a weekend of sightseeing with friends, Google Maps Navigation > has you covered. Your phone will announce upcoming directions to you as you > move along your route — and it will even use a friendly and familiar Indian > accent if you’ve selected the Indian English locale on in your phone settings. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Of course, Google Maps Navigation is also incredibly easy to use. There is no > separate app — it’s already available directly in the Android app launcher > and in the Google Maps interface for users who have Google Maps for Mobile > installed on their Android smartphone. (Just keep an eye out for the blue > arrow, which will always point you toward navigation.) Also Google Maps > Navigation takes advantage of Google’s unparalleled search expertise to find > the places you care about. You can type (or even speak) the name or address > of your favorite destination into the app and trust that Google will correct > your spelling and get you the right result. Finally, since your Android > smartphone always has access to Google’s most up-to-date map data, there’s > never a need for you to work through a cumbersome manual upgrade process. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To complement the launch of Google Maps Navigation in India, Google Maps will > also begin to offer live traffic information for major roads in six large > Indian cities and their surrounding suburbs: Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, > Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad. As in other countries, Google’s traffic data is > shown in a simple and readable color scheme — red for significant congestion, > yellow for minor slow-downs, and green for free-flowing traffic — to help you > analyze the traffic on your route with just a quick glance. You can view live > traffic by enabling the traffic layer on maps.google.co.in or in the Google > Maps app on your smartphone, or simply by visiting google.co.in and entering > a query like ‘traffic in hyderabad’. (If you’re using maps.google.co.in in a > desktop browser, Google Maps even allows you to check “typical” traffic > conditions for a particular day and time, based on our wealth of historical > data.) Finally, in places where traffic data is available, Google Maps > Navigation will take congestion into account to ensure that you’re always > given the directions most appropriate to current conditions. > > We hope that the many Google Maps users in India will enjoy these new ways to > take advantage of Google’s extensive map data. The next time you’re on the > subcontinent, just check the traffic, tap the blue arrow, and drive safely! > > Note: While the Google Maps app itself is a free download from Google Play > and Google doesn’t charge users for access to Navigation, the Google Maps app > does require an Internet connection and users are responsible for any mobile > data charges they incur while using the app. > > Posted by Darren Baker, Product Manager, Google Maps and Suren Ruhela, Senior > Program Manager, Google Maps > > http://googleindia.blogspot.in/2012/09/navigation-and-traffic-data-come-to.html > > >
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