Google Maps Coordinate Will Keep Track Of Workers

Businesses will soon be able to keep track of their employees with Google Maps Coordinate, a location sharing service for enterprises that could scare skiving staff.

The tool allows companies and employees to share location data, record movements, and send notifications using a mobile and web app.

Google says that it will be of particular use for businesses with a dispersed workforce such as a call-centre operator or an electric utility company.

Keeping track

“Google Maps Coordinate combines the power of Google’s mapping technologies with modern smartphones to help organisations assign jobs and deploy staff more efficiently,” said Google in a blog post.

Any business can sign up for the service, which is built to work seamlessly with Google Enterprise Maps and Earth. Employees can then download the app, which shares their real-time location, even when they’re indoors.

Their journeys are recorded, as are client contact details, and a designated dispatcher can create, assign and manage jobs, with team members notified instantly.

Locations of current and previous jobs and teams are visualised to help companies assess where they should be assigning or hiring more workers.

Earlier this year, Google added UK railway timetables to its mapping service, allowing users to plan routes and journeys, followed by real-time tube information such as service disruptions and planned engineering works.

Apple is planning to rival Google Maps after dropping it from iOS 6. The iPhone manufacturer has reportedly enlisted the support of a fleet of spy planes to help create ultra-detailed maps for devices running the operating system.

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