Google Maps

Google Maps is a world-leading web mapping platform and consumer application developed by Google. The service was originally conceived as a C++ desktop program by Lars and Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen at Where 2 Technologies. The company was acquired by Google in 2004, and the service was launched in 2005.

While the software is engineered and hosted primarily in the United States, its global infrastructure and data centers are distributed across multiple countries to ensure speed and reliability. Ownership remains under Google, which is a subsidiary of the multi-national conglomerate Alphabet Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, California.