While this is not bad, didn’t these companies considered just contributing to OpenStreetMap? Why is starting a new thing better?
It seems their consider themselves complimentary with OpenStreetMap, as stated on their FAQ https://overturemaps.org/resources/faq/#
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.
I don’t know a lot about any of both projects, but it seems fair.
Almost sounds too fair, like there’s a catch. You can never know with these guys.
All companies are forced to play nice when they aren’t at the top. Google has a monopoly on mapping, their only real competitor is TomTom, and really only in the US. All of these companies need mapping data and don’t want to pay google for it, so it makes sense to work together to release this.
Good question. Contributing to OSM seems like the better route. Pun intended.
This does use OpenStreetMap. It adds other public data from other sources.
Out of the four layers Overture Maps provides, th ey use OpenStreetMap for the Transportation and Building layers.
Can’t collect data on users without starting their own thing.
That wouldn’t be evil. And they probably can’t just take over OSM or one would have already.
Anything we can do to have competition in the market is a good thing.
How this can be used to improve OSM/Organic Maps?
If the license is compatible with the one used by OSM contributors can use the data to make their life easier, contributors of the dataset are encouraged to contribute directly to osm if possible.
I’m not familiar with overture maps or OSM. What does it all mean? Will they really compete with gmaps? Are either more privacy focused?
OSM is basically Wikipedia in map form. It uses public domain or donated map data and anyone can contribute.
It is very much a competitor to Google Maps.
But OSM is not a simple map but a database of data, what you see on their site is only an implementation of what you can do with the data.
