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Re:Google Maps is about to get a lot more ads by zkhalique on Wednesday May 25, 2016 @08:23AM (#11769235)
What about the Google Maps api? Will companies be able to use the maps to display things, unmolested by google-sponsored ads?
Re:Google Maps is about to get a lot more ads by jpatokal on Wednesday May 25, 2016 @08:55AM (#11769397)
The Premium plans are (and have always been) "guaranteed ad-free": https://developers.google.com/maps/pricing-and-plans/

Google Maps has had ads for quite some time, (AFAIK) all that's new here is option to use custom logos instead of the old purple pin: https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/3246303?hl=en

Disclaimer: Used to work on Google Maps, but I don't anymore, and I know no more about this launch than what the blog post says.

Re:Google Maps is about to get a lot more ads by studentrob on Wednesday May 25, 2016 @08:31AM (#11769274)
Who knows. If Google's revenue slips, investors get upset and make leadership changes.

It sounds like leadership is out of ideas if their only ones are to increase the size and frequency of ads on existing apps. That's a bit sad considering the talent they have there.

Re:Google Maps is about to get a lot more ads by GantzGraf on Wednesday May 25, 2016 @11:49AM (#11770607)
Increased ads will bring in more revenue. They're not doing this for the sake of it.
Re:Google Maps is about to get a lot more ads by studentrob on Wednesday May 25, 2016 @12:56PM (#11771224)
Right. I'm saying, they've run out of other ideas.

Ads have always been Google's major source of revenue. Now, their to answer to dwindling revenue is to add larger ads to existing apps [1]

Bigger and more ads is not very innovative for a tech company.

[1] http://www.wsj.com/articles/google-to-increase-size-frequenc...