Thursday, October 13, 2005

O'Reilly on Google Maps Data Providers

Here's an interesting insight into the business behind google maps from O'Reilly: Google Maps and Their Data Providers

Never assume it's easy to bring a free API to fruition. Check out Google Maps as web app versus Google Maps as API. Notice something different about the two maps? The former has "map data (c) NAVTEQ" whereas the latter has "map data (c) TeleAtlas". In the past, both API and consumer maps credited both companies, but it's a safe bet that Google has had a battle with NAVTEQ to offer their free API. The provider changed occurred around October 4 and prompted a discussion on the developer list about the greater number of errors in the TeleAtlas tiles
OK, maybe that's only interesting to me, a map geek and google map hacker.

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