Google and Apple’s duopoly in the online map market is about to be challenged by a coalition made up of Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services. The trio is teaming up to create alternative map data and services that developers can access freely.
CNBC reported that the group was formed along with TomTom, and will be releasing data that will help companies to develop their own map, curtailing dependency on Google and Apple. The duo has dominated the market for long, charging mobile app developers for access to their mapping services.
App makers pay per thousand Google Maps lookups using their application programming interface (API), while Apple provides free access to Apple Maps for native app developers but charges web app developers fees for access.
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According to the report, other major tech companies are collaborating to create an alternative option. The Overture Maps Foundation, established in the previous year, has compiled an extensive database of 59 million “points of interest,” including restaurants, landmarks, streets, and regional borders.
The data has been meticulously cleaned and formatted, making it available for free as the foundational layer for a new map application.
Both Meta and Microsoft have contributed to this effort by collecting and donating the data to the Overture Maps Foundation, as disclosed by Marc Prioleau, the executive director of OMF. He explained in an interview with CNBC that gathering and licensing data on places can be challenging, and building map data requires significant time and a skilled workforce to ensure its accuracy and completeness.
“We have some companies that, if they wanted to invest to build the map data, they could,” Prioleau said. Rather than spending that kind of money, he said, companies were asking, “Can we just get collaboration around the open base map?”
Overture’s primary objective is to create a foundational maps data source that other companies can utilize to construct and manage their own maps, per the report.
Many companies find Google and Apple’s maps unsuitable because they do not grant access to the underlying data. Instead, these companies offer their maps as a service, often charging each time the underlying map data is accessed through an API.
Prioleau said it “works for a lot of people, but not for others,”
Overture’s focus lies solely on providing the foundational map data, giving companies the freedom to develop their own software on top of it, CNBC reported. This approach is said to be crucial because digital maps play a significant role in almost all mobile applications, and cutting-edge technologies like augmented reality and self-driving cars rely heavily on high-quality mapping software.
By utilizing Overture’s data, companies can seamlessly integrate their proprietary information, such as precise pickup locations for a delivery app, to tailor their offerings accordingly.
While Overture is not the first organization to pursue the creation of freely or affordably accessible map data, OpenStreetMap, founded in 2004, relies on crowdsourced data to create its maps. Notably, Meta also uses data from OpenStreetMap in its maps.
To set itself apart, Overture emphasizes a more rigorous vetting and curation process for its data compared to OpenStreetMap. This approach ensures that Overture’s data maintains a higher standard of accuracy and reliability.
Maintaining up-to-date map data presents a significant challenge, as businesses close and road networks undergo changes over time. To address this issue, the Overture Maps Foundation aims to leverage contributions from its members to provide real-time information, enabling regular and accurate updates rather than relying on a one-time data dump.
Marc Prioleau envisions integrating artificial intelligence technology and other automated techniques to facilitate this continuous updating process.
He said that the task of building and updating maps is an ongoing endeavor, which is why member companies are willing to share their data, as cleaning up data does not offer them a significant strategic advantage.
By collaborating and pooling their resources, these companies can collectively enhance the quality and accuracy of map data without compromising their individual competitive positions.