Meta, Microsoft, AWS and TomTom Launch Overture Maps Foundation To Develop Interoperable Open Map Data (techcrunch.com) 34
The Linux Foundation has partnered with some of the world's biggest technology companies to develop interoperable and open map data, in what is a clear move to counter Google's dominance in the mapping realm. From a report: The Overture Maps Foundation, as the new effort is called, is officially hosted by the Linux Foundation, but the program is driven by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Facebook's parent company Meta, Microsoft, and Dutch mapping company TomTom. The ultimate mission of the Overture Maps Foundation to power new map products through openly available datasets that can be used and reused across applications and businesses, with each member throwing their own data and resources into the mix.
"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," noted the Linux Foundation's executive director Jim Zemlin in a press release. "Industry needs to come together to do this for the benefit of all." Map and location data plays such a fundamental role across society today, powering everything from IoT (internet of things) devices and self-driving cars, to logistics and big data visualization tools. Having all that data under the auspices of just one or two mega-firms can be hugely restrictive in terms of what companies can do with the data and what features they have at their disposal, not to mention the costs involved in licensing it.
"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," noted the Linux Foundation's executive director Jim Zemlin in a press release. "Industry needs to come together to do this for the benefit of all." Map and location data plays such a fundamental role across society today, powering everything from IoT (internet of things) devices and self-driving cars, to logistics and big data visualization tools. Having all that data under the auspices of just one or two mega-firms can be hugely restrictive in terms of what companies can do with the data and what features they have at their disposal, not to mention the costs involved in licensing it.
Alternative headline (Score:4, Informative)
Meta, Microsoft, AWS and TomTom Have Never Heard of OpenStreetMap
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I know they have heard of OSM and chosen to do something else instead. But it still makes a better headline.
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Lots of responders missed the self-reply. I would have edited it into the original post, but hey, this is Slashdot.
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Nah, they obviously know OSM exists. QED they are doing this for some other reason, my guess is that it's because OSM is too free and they don't want to contribute to it
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Meta has used OSM for years. They use them in their business and event locations all across Facebook.
Re: Alternative headline (Score:2)
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The goal is to expand and integrate with OSM, not replace it.
M$ is involved so more like EMBRACE and EXTEND lolololol
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Re: Alternative headline (Score:3)
I think they have. In Apple Maps, thereâ(TM)s a TomTom logo with an OpenStreetMap copyright. Tapping on this opens a TomTom legal agreement that accredits copyright to OSM contributions.
Perhaps Apple is a silent partner providing some funding to this endeavour? I bet theyâ(TM)d love to diminish Google Maps.
Re:Alternative headline (Score:5, Informative)
Meta, Microsoft, AWS and TomTom Have Never Heard of OpenStreetMap
From their own FAQ:
What is the relationship between Overture and OpenStreetMap?
Overture is a data-centric map project, not a community of individual map editors. Therefore, Overture is intended to be complementary to OSM. We combine OSM with other sources to produce new open map data sets. Overture data will be available for use by the OpenStreetMap community under compatible open data licenses. Overture members are encouraged to contribute to OSM directly.
It's literally the #3 FAQ entry after an answer about releases and contributions.
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Literally all of them except for TomTom use OSM in their products. Heck even Flightsimulator uses data from OSM.
This isn't about being open, this is about pushing the product they control. This isn't bad by the way. Competition is a good thing, and no mapping product out there is perfect.
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They don't own it, can't control it, then they don't want it. What would you expect some monopolists to do?
will integrtate with OSM, but more tools and data (Score:5, Informative)
The project will seek to integrate with existing open map data from projects such as OpenStreetMap and city planning departments, along with new map data contributed by members and built using computer vision and AI/ML techniques to create a living digital record of the physical world.
Game Engine (Score:3)
I would love to see someone recreate the Earth in a game engine.
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Join the military and get your wish.
Re:Game Engine (Score:4, Informative)
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Ironically Flight Simulator is powered by OpenStreetMaps. In fact early bugs in the game that made 3km high buildings were due to mistyped metadata in the OSM database.
And now they are trying to compete with them directly.
Direct link (Score:3)
Re:Direct link (Score:5, Informative)
To What End? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm all about competition in the space...but this seems nonsensical at first blush. TomTom is at least somewhat-known for their map data, and AWS is a go-to place to put it, but what is Meta contributing or gaining? I'm sure the uptake on Facebook Maps would look almost exactly like the Metaverse.
Bing Maps? There might be a small niche for that, especially for GIS, but that's an awful lot of cooperation for such a niche that already has at least some solutions in place. I know MS is trying to create a WeChat-style everything-app, but Bing Maps in its present state would be 'good enough' for that, and they certainly don't need AWS to host it. It's unclear what their advantage is.
TomTom could obviously get money for their map data (and that might make sense as I've never once found anyone who paid a dime for TomTom since the WinMo days), but is that the sum total of what they're getting? If so, then why are they a part of the association?
Notably absent from the party is Nokia, whose Here WeGo is probably the best third party satnav software I've used, and who owns their map data. Unless Tomtom got exclusivity in a way that Amazon didn't (since Microsoft brings Azure to the table), it would stand to reason that "everyone vs. Google and Apple to a lesser extent" would benefit from Nokia bringing their expertise to the table, but their absence raises questions in itself.
Amazon throwing some AWS resources at it is simple-enough; make it another product customers can query for geomapping and have a convoluted pricing structure for it...but again, will it break even? AWS customers who need that sort of map querying info can just get it from GCC, and those customers would likely be willing to pay more for Google's map data than whatever AWS implements, so it'd be extremely difficult for them to break even.
The elephant in the room is, of course, The Linux Foundation...which is what makes the least sense of everyone. Why would TLF want Meta on board, as they have neither inputs nor outputs? Why would TLF want to make a competitor to OpenStreetMaps from a bunch of companies who have every interest in skirting the rules? Why would TLF want this stuff running on AWS, the ultimate loophole to the GPL? The foundation of this consortium by an OSS advocacy organization, with nearly all of the cards being held by for-profit entities whose goals are in direct opposition to TLF and all of whom would do exactly what Google is doing given the chance, is super unclear.
Even the article (I skimmed it) seems overly optimistic, and seemingly unaware that all of its examples reflect areas that are more user hostile than freedom-enabling. Basically all of my IoT devices require account creation now and don't have any published source code, nobody has discussed an open source self-driving car, "logistics and big data visualization tools" are self-explanatory, and certainly nothing Meta is planning to divulge to the general public.
So...either I'm misunderstanding something and will be corrected in a reply somewhere in this thread...or there's an undertow to this grouping that I probably won't like...but at face value, the math simply doesn't work.
Re: To What End? (Score:2)
nobody has discussed an open source self-driving car
Not going to happen. Emissions and safety concerns aside, regulators have an interest in maintaining control of traffic patterns through a few large (and easy to regulate) portals. Seattle, for example, is in the midst of a program aimed at totally fucking up vehicular traffic (traffic calming it's called). Major arterials get totally clogged up, making bus lanes and the soon to be here light rail look competitive. Local knowledge will get you around that mess. Pissing off neighborhood residents in the proc
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You think they will allow someone to develop a "find me the fastest route" app instead of a "find me a government approved route"?
Isn't that what Waze is for?
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Isn't that what Waze is for?
For self-driving cars? I doubt that would be approved. For the reason that I stated. If officials don't have the ability to mark routes as preferred or off-limits, the system will probably not be certified..
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Isn't that what Waze is for?
For self-driving cars? I doubt that would be approved. For the reason that I stated. If officials don't have the ability to mark routes as preferred or off-limits, the system will probably not be certified..
If self driving cars are going to be forced to use sub-optimal routes, why would anyone want to use one? Especially if they are paying for it on a meter. Like I totally want the cab driver who will take the longest path to my destination lol. Sounds like a great way to impede self driving car adoption.
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I'm all about competition in the space...but this seems nonsensical at first blush. TomTom is at least somewhat-known for their map data, and AWS is a go-to place to put it, but what is Meta contributing or gaining? I'm sure the uptake on Facebook Maps would look almost exactly like the Metaverse.
TomTom could obviously get money for their map data (and that might make sense as I've never once found anyone who paid a dime for TomTom since the WinMo days), but is that the sum total of what they're getting? If so, then why are they a part of the association?
Correct. Facebook probably needs map data for their metaverse, this is a nice way to get it on the cheap. TomTom needs an avenue to regain more relvance, this is an opportunity to do so.
Bing Maps? There might be a small niche for that, especially for GIS, but that's an awful lot of cooperation for such a niche that already has at least some solutions in place. I know MS is trying to create a WeChat-style everything-app, but Bing Maps in its present state would be 'good enough' for that, and they certainly don't need AWS to host it. It's unclear what their advantage is.
Asides from Bing Maps, or the EverythingApp, Microsoft uses Map data for games, currently MS Flight Simulator, but with the recent big purchases of lots of Game studios, Is not completely out of the picture that microsoft could release a call of duty urban warfare with real world map data, or forza rally with real map data,
Re:To What End? (Score:4, Funny)
but what is Meta contributing or gaining?
Meta has a huge database of businesses and addresses.
This sounds very much like a TomTom map accuracy, combined with Meta data, combined with Microsoft's UI expertise (sorry clean that coffee off your monitor, but Bing Maps looks far FAR better than TomTom or OpenStreetMaps for that matter), all using Amazon's bandwidth.
Actually that last one is more interesting, given MS's cloud infrastructure why is Amazon actually a part of this? Or do they think people will not trust it because it's hosted by MS?
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I'm sure the uptake on Facebook Maps would look almost exactly like the Metaverse.
Facebook maps is already a thing: you use it on Facebook and Instagram then adding location to a post, you use it on Facebook business pages, you use it in WhatsApp when you share your location to set a meeting point and so on. There is a large uptake. If those maps are better, it is a benefit for Facebook.
grrr.. (Score:3)
These companies could have contributed capabilities to OSM, and built on that base, but instead they are going to pull from Open Street Map and build out proprietary capabilities, because $$.
I am not against innovation and monetization, but I really hope that OSM doesn't now wither on the vine because of the shadow this new GEO API or whatever they are building. With the resources they bring to the table I am sure there will be some significant improvements in map freshness and especially real time data. Microsoft has been playing with Satellite imagery and mapping longer than anyone else not concealed in military secrecy, and TomTom brings a lot of map tech, AWS brings horsepower, and Meta brings people data, so the members of this coalition make a lot of sense.
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- what are they mapping ? - (Score:2)
A map is a representation of a certain kind of reality. A single area may be viewed as topographical, or the location of a weather pattern, or according to the risk of fires and earthquakes. Or--the map can simply show the location of local money hungry businesses: pizza, doctor's office, coffee shop, Walmart, gas stations etc.
Advertising. Such maps quickly become cumbersome and less functional. Even if you are looking for a retail shop, it's now more difficult because there are so many others nearby. These
You mean, OpenStreetMap? (Score:2)
Correct Link (Score:2)
(was looking for Ethan's drawings, failure somewhere. Poor kids.)