<P> Google Maps first started as a C++ program designed by two Danish brothers , Lars and Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen , at the Sydney - based company Where 2 Technologies . It was first designed to be separately downloaded by users , but the company later pitched the idea for a purely Web - based product to Google management , changing the method of distribution . In October 2004 , the company was acquired by Google Inc. where it transformed into the web application Google Maps . In the same month , Google acquired Keyhole , a geospatial data visualization company ( with controversial investment from the CIA ) , whose marquee application suite , Earth Viewer , emerged as the highly successful Google Earth application in 2005 while other aspects of its core technology were integrated into Google Maps . In September 2004 Google acquired ZipDash , a company that provided realtime traffic analysis . </P>
<P> Google Maps first started as a C++ program designed by two Danish brothers , Lars and Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen , at the Sydney - based company Where 2 Technologies . It was first designed to be separately downloaded by users , but the company later pitched the idea for a purely Web - based product to Google management , changing the method of distribution . In October 2004 , the company was acquired by Google Inc. where it transformed into the web application Google Maps . In the same month , Google acquired Keyhole , a geospatial data visualization company ( with controversial investment from the CIA ) , whose marquee application suite , Earth Viewer , emerged as the highly successful Google Earth application in 2005 while other aspects of its core technology were integrated into Google Maps . In September 2004 Google acquired ZipDash , a company that provided realtime traffic analysis . </P>
where was the technology that has become google maps first developed
where was the technology that has become google maps first developed
Sydney - based company Where 2 Technologies
Sydney - based company Where 2 Technologies