[Techtaffy Newsdesk]

You have one more reason to own a Merc now. Daimler will have access to the Google Maps API for Business for the use of cloud-based, map-related applications in Daimler vehicles and early access to other new APIs as they are developed, as part of a strategic partnership announced at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The collaboration will enable Daimler to use Google Maps for their in-car map displays, among other things.

Google and Daimler already have a working relationship, and have been working in partnership for several years. In 2007, for example, Daimler tied up with Google to launch the Google “Send-to-Car” functionality, which gave Mercedes-Benz customers the opportunity to send destinations from Google Maps to their in-vehicle navigation systems.

As of 2011, Mercedes-Benz offers COMAND Online, a telematics system with cloud-based Mercedes-Benz apps that brings Google Street View, Panoramio and local search technologies to most Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Mercedes-Benz customers also have the opportunity to send individualized routes from Google Maps to their vehicles. In the second quarter of 2012 all these services will also be available with mbrace2, the second generation of connected, in-vehicle services from Mercedes-Benz, to customers in the USA.

[Image Courtesy: Daimler.
Eric Schmidt, Google Executive Chairman and Prof. Dr. Eike Boehm, Vice President Product Innovations and Process Technologies, Daimler AG.]