While there have been plenty of GPS contenders over the last few years, there is now little doubt that Google holds the crown of king of the mobile mapping services. Google recently announced that more than 1 billion people have downloaded the Google Maps application, making it the most used software of its kind in the world. The Google Maps software has undergone quite a few different looks and changes since it was first introduced in 2005, one of the many reasons users have become so comfortably downloading it.

Google Maps started out as simply a way for people to quickly and easily find a point around the globe. Soon after, the ability to actually navigate using step-by-step instructions was included. Google was off and running once they saw what the company could do with a few more tweaks here and there, and street view was their crowning jewel. With that particular addition to the software, not only could you see how to get to a particular destination, but you could also see what that destination was supposed to look like. Of course, not everyone enjoyed having Google taking photographs of their private residences, but the search giant has tried to make concessions to those people in recent years. 

With Google Maps giving a more detailed view than virtually any other mapping or GPS software out there, the company moved on to adding even more features. Google released the ability to find out how to get somewhere by walking and by using public transit. The company even offered some services that have only been taken advantage of by a select group of people. Others, like the Helicopter View may start to gain traction as the company stays one-step ahead of the competition. Google Earth and Maps vice president Brian McClendon told the media that the company was, “proud of our one billion milestone, but we’re even more amazed at the way people have used Google Earth to explore the world”.

In order to commemorate the 1 billion download milestone, the company is working on a new website which would illustrate all the different ways people have used the application.