I learn about SAP and Google Maps collaboration from LBZone few days ago. Navigate your browser to the the following link – Intuitive Overlay of Enterprise Data onto Maps to Fuel Better Business Decisions. SAP is traditionally investing in business analytic software via SAP Business Object product. The following passage explains how Google consumer oriented services can be used together with enterprise tools.
SAP and Google are working together to pair enterprise applications with the kinds of consumer tools that enrich millions of people’s lives every day, such as Google Maps and Google Earth™. With location-based intelligence capabilities, SAP envisions bringing corporate information to life via Google’s dynamic, interactive map, satellite and even street-level views. As a result, customers could analyze their businesses in a geospatial context to effectively understand the "where" of their information, as well as global, regional and local trends and how they are impacted by different scenarios — helping to increase efficiency and profitability, among other benefits.
I can see few interesting scenarios related to product development that require location-based tools such as: maintenance and service operation, supply chain and some other. Visualization of location information can simplify user interface and help to find data trends that hardly can be recognized using location-based visualizations. It will be interesting to see if latest PTC acquisition of 4CS for service lifecycle can find advantages of location-based software.
What is my take? There is a clear trend to merge consumer web tools with enterprise software. So called "IT consumerization" is definitely needed to be watched by PLM vendors. Just my thoughts…
Best, Oleg
Posted by olegshilovitsky 
