Google and SAP team for Maps analytics

Software giant SAP has formed an alliance with internet behemoth Google to help companies get a grip on big data.'

SAP's analytics software will ride on top of Google Maps to give businesses "location-based intelligence capabilities."

The companies want to incorporate business features in Google's consumer-focused mapping services, including in Street View mode.

Products combining analytics with Google Maps are expected to appear in upcoming releases of various SAP enterprise products. This includes SAP BusinessObjects and the German firm's mobile apps.

"Today, more and more information is being geo-tagged and it is unlocking an entirely new dimension for enterprise data," said Sanjay Poonen, president of global solutions at SAP.

"We aim to provide our customers the opportunity to tap into the power of business analytics combined with location intelligence through a geographic view and use rich, interactive analytics to respond to events as they unfold in real time."

Dave Girouard, president for Google Enterprise, said the integration would allow customers "to more easily visualise geographic data and make better business decisions."

Earlier this week, SAP reported some solid results, with decent software revenue.

See below for a video on the potential for Google Maps analytics:

Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.