A new Google Map update added a ride-sharing tab for iOS users. This comes a week after it launched the same feature for Android owners.
The Verge reported that the Google Map update has included the new tab which shows up under a taxi icon between the walking and biking options. It shows the available ride-sharing options and price quotes.
With the Google Map update, once the user clicks on the available tiers like UberX or UberSelect, it automatically opens the app of Google's US partner, Uber. The tech giant has teamed up with 99Taxis in Brazil, Ola Cabs in India, Hailo in the UK and Spain, mytaxi in Germany and Spain, and Gett in the UK.
The publication noted that the Google Map update is not too different from the feature introduced two years ago where Uber price quotes were placed at the bottom of the public transportation section. Giving priority to ride-sharing apps would make ensure that commuters open Google Maps first instead of going directly to Uber's app.
Meanwhile, the tech giant may be hastening its cloud expansion to catch up with its rivals. According to Bloomberg, Google's new cloud chief Diane Greene urged employees to "sell harder, be hungrier and less complacent."
Apparently, Google ranks third in cloud-computing. To overcome this, not only will the company need to expand its data centers massively, they are also believed to be developing tools that can widen its reach to less technically savvy customers.
"There was a pretty darn good vision in place and now I'm just bringing everybody together so that we all know what we're doing," Greene said. "The cloud is a revolution, I mean it's rivaling the industrial revolution, and it's pretty fun being this involved."
Re/code commented that Google's intention may be to distinguish its platform from rivals Amazon and Microsoft with machine intelligent features. Machine Learning is the AI method for massive data processing.
