(Updated on March 20, 2015: Oh well, scratch Google Maps Engine off your list of great tools. (via zdnet) Google is halting sign-ups for the Google Maps Engine API and will end support for it on January 29, 2016.)
Earlier this week, Google announced Google Maps Engine Pro, a new paid-service it is marketing to businesses dependent on location-oriented marketing or that need to produce maps displaying various types of data.
Google will continue to offer a free version of the custom map maker with a new name, Google Maps Engine Lite.
“By importing data like addresses, names, office locations and sales leads from various file formats onto a map, businesses can edit, analyze and share their information in a simple format,” says VP of Google Maps and Earth, Brian McClendon, “Google Maps Engine Pro can be as easy to use as creating a document and it gives businesses an added productivity tool to help make decisions, organize information, and plan operations.”
The pricing of Maps Engine Pro is $5 per user per month or $50 per user per year depending on the license usages.
Below is a promotional video Google prepared to demonstrate how a small business, Pure Fix Cycles, uses the mapping tool.