The Linux Foundation has started a project in cooperation with the giants of the world of technology so that the big companies will provide the map data openly to each other.
The Linux Foundation has partnered with several major tech companies, including Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom, to develop open and interactive map data to counter Google’s dominance in the world of map services. This joint collaboration will be done in a project called Overture Maps Foundation.
The Linux Foundation says the ultimate goal of the Overture Maps Foundation is to help develop new products through the information that is made openly available and can be used in a variety of applications and businesses. Each of the participants in this project can present their data to others and use their data.
Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, said in a press release: “Mapping the world’s physical environments and communities as they grow and change is an incredibly complex challenge that no single company can handle alone.” “Our industry needs to come together to do this for the benefit of all.”
The map market should not be in the hands of one or two companies
Maps and location data play an important role in our societies today. The ownership of one or two large companies on all this information can reduce the capabilities of other companies in using this information, limit their access and leave heavy costs on their hands to use this information.
“Immersive experiences that understand and blend into your physical environment are critical to the future of the Internet,” said Jen-Eric Salem, director of engineering for the maps unit at Meta. “By providing open and interactive map data, Overture provides the foundation for an open metaverse built by creative minds, developers, and businesses.”
Considering the absence of Google among the names present in the founders of the Overture Maps Foundation, it seems that this attempt is an attempt to confront the big giant of the Android manufacturer in the world of maps. Since the popularity of smartphones, this company has dominated the map market by pushing aside competitors like TomTom.
But now the competitors are trying to catch up. “Collaborative mapping is a central part of TomTom’s strategy,” says TomTom’s CEO. The Overture Maps Foundation provides a framework for faster access to this goal. The TomTom Maps platform will use a combination of Overture’s base map, a collection of other data, and TomTom’s proprietary data into high-quality, customizable products that will include applications such as advanced navigation, search, and automated driving.”
