Google Earth Strategy: Keep Investing, Fold Into Maps or Sunset the Product?

Google Earth is Google's free interactive globe: satellite and aerial imagery, terrain and 3D views of places around the world, available on the web, on mobile and as a desktop application. You are asked whether Google should keep offering it. Make a recommendation and defend it: what Google gains from Earth, what it costs, which alternatives you considered and what would change your mind. ```hint Count only what would really go away Earth is free, so its own revenue cannot settle the question. List what Google would lose if Earth disappeared and what it would actually save, keeping in mind which data and infrastructure Earth shares with other Google products. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Which product is in scope: the consumer Earth apps on web, mobile and desktop, or also Earth Engine, Google's separate platform for geospatial analysis? - What prompted the question: a cost review, declining usage, or a strategic push toward Maps or Cloud? - Does "continue" mean keeping Earth exactly as it is, or may I propose repositioning it, merging it into Maps or charging for part of it? - What data can I assume access to: usage by platform and segment, the cost of the Earth team versus shared imagery infrastructure, and links to paid geospatial products? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Who uses Earth and for what (casual explorers, schools, professionals, researchers), and which of those needs Maps or other tools already meet - Value to Google beyond direct revenue, set against the costs that are specific to Earth rather than the imagery and infrastructure it shares with other products - A comparison of real options, from keeping Earth as it is through refocusing it, folding it into Maps, charging for professional features and shutting it down - A clear recommendation, the conditions that would reverse it and the metrics to watch - Risks of the chosen path, including user trust after product shutdowns and obligations to schools and professional users ### Follow-up Questions - Suppose usage has been falling steadily. Does your recommendation change, and what would you investigate first? - If you recommended shutting Earth down, how would you wind it down to protect the users, schools and professionals who rely on it? - What would have to be true for Google to charge for Earth, and which users would pay?