Today in the Connected Economy: Google Rolls Out Last-Mile Delivery Tool

Today in the connected economy, Google debuts a new suite of mapping, routing and analytics capabilities designed to tackle last mile delivery.

Also, Instacart joins its rival DoorDash in getting into the office supply field, and a new report suggests Spotify could be adding NFTs to its streaming service.

Google Launches Integrated Last Mile Fleet Solution

Google hopes to tackle last-mile delivery with the debut of an integrated suite of mapping, routing and analytics capabilities.

According to a company blog post, the Last Mile Fleet Solution optimizes each stage of the last-mile delivery journey, from capturing valid addresses and plotting out routes, to tracking shipments and analyzing fleet performance.

Instacart to Begin Deliveries for Office Depot

Instacart is working with Office Depot to offer same-day delivery, the latest in a long-term effort by the grocery delivery platform to expand its selection of goods.

The partnership comes just 10 days after rival DoorDash said it had made its own deal with Office Depot and its sister company Office Max.

Visa, Council for Economic Education Team on Student Financial Knowledge

Visa has teamed up with the Council for Economic Education (CEE) on FinEd50, a nationwide collection of nonprofits, community leaders and corporate partners that aims to provide better financial education for students across the U.S.

“The state of financial education offered to students in the U.S. varies significantly,” said Worku Gachou, head of North America, inclusive impact & sustainability at Visa. “Where students live should not impact whether they have access to knowledge that will help them learn how to make informed financial decisions in their lives.”

Spotify May Add Blockchain, NFTs to Streaming Service

Spotify could be considering be adding blockchain technology and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to its streaming service, a move that’s exciting the cryptocurrency and music industries about how digital assets can boost earnings for artists.

According to a Financial Times report, recent job posts suggest the streamer is recruiting people to work on early-stage Web3 projects. Spotify declined to comment on its NFT plans.

Earlier this week, Meta Platforms founder Mark Zuckerberg said Instagram will soon support NFTs, while Twitter, Reddit and other social media offerings are also putting together features to let users display or trade NFTs.

Dutch FinTech Mollie Launches SaaS Payment Platform

Dutch payments service provider Mollie has unveiled Connect for Platforms, a tool designed to help online SaaS and marketplace platforms integrate, accept and route payments, as well as onboard new customers.

The Amsterdam-based firm said the tool offers multilingual, local support, configurable APIs and a split payments function that allows marketplaces to distribute payments to multiple sellers.