In the Igbo Nation, there is this proverb elders drop when some young men ask many questions and cause problems in the village square: when the piglet begins to grow and wonders why the mouth of the mother is so big, just give it time, because over time, its mouth will also become big. Yes, they want to remind you that most things are the same, and that what differs is your understanding, and once you get into certain phases, the convergence will happen.
So, as Microsoft, Meta and Amazon band together to take up Apple and Google on maps, do not think anything has changed: “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.
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.
Simply, once they become successful on this, they will also behave like Apple and Google, since it is still capitalism. That explains why Meta’s Threads is already implementing many “anti-people” policies of Twitter (yes, X) like blocking people (yes bots) from scraping data. Of course, I want Ovim roads to be well mapped and I hope this alliance delivers on it.
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
Comment on Feed
Comment: Won’t it have been easier to add Nokia to this alliance? They are already good in Maps. Anyway just thinking out loud.
My Response: Nokia has to move to the US or Africa because it is going to be hard to build such digital maps with the tough European privacy laws. That is partly the reason you do not read of great EU digital companies
---
Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA (Feb 10 - May 3, 2025), and join Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe and our global faculty; click here.
