Google Rivals Team Up to Provide Open Access to Mapping Data

Google rivals on Thursday unveiled a challenge to make freely out there information units for map options to be constructed into on-line choices.

Alphabet-owned Google dominates on-line mapping, promoting its companies to different firms or platforms and utilizing location and navigation capabilities to reinforce its different choices, together with internet marketing.

Meta, Microsoft, TomTom, and Amazon Web Services have now launched what they name the Overture Maps Foundation, the aim of which is to make complete mapping information brazenly out there to be used by whoever may have it, the nonprofit Linux Foundation mentioned in a launch.

“Mapping the physical environment and every community in the world, even as they grow and change, is a massively complex challenge that no one organization can manage,” mentioned Linux Foundation govt director Jim Zemlin.

“Industry needs to come together to do this for the benefit of all.”

Google was notably absent from the record of firms teaming up in Overture, which mentioned its aim is to broaden membership to hurry up progress.

The coalition anticipated to launch its first mapping datasets by the center of subsequent 12 months.

“Immersive experiences, which understand and blend into your physical environment, are critical to the embodied internet of the future,” Maps at Meta engineering director Jan Erik Solem mentioned within the launch.

“By delivering interoperable open map data, Overture provides the foundation for an open metaverse built by creators, developers, and businesses alike.”

Map information already underlies functions for search, navigation, logistics, video games, autonomous driving and extra, in response to the Linux Foundation.

Overture map information will likely be open supply, which means builders are free to not solely use it however to construct on it, the Linux Foundation mentioned.


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