Google Maps Alternative: Overture Maps Releases First Open Map Datasets

The Overture Maps Foundation, a project backed by Microsoft, Amazon and Meta✴ that aims to create cross-platform, open map data, has made its first datasets publicly available. The initiative, launched in December 2022 under the auspices of the Linux Foundation, aims, among other goals, to create an alternative to Google’s global dominance in online mapping.

Image source: Overture Maps Foundation

According to TechCrunch, the alliance on Wednesday announced the release of the first four datasets in the general version (GA), which include “Buildings” covering 2.3 billion images of buildings around the world, “Places” with landmarks, “Borders” of countries and regions, as well as “Data” about land and water objects. In addition, a database containing 200 million addresses from 14 countries was released in the alpha version for internal testing. The Transport dataset remains in beta for now.

In addition to Microsoft, Amazon and Meta✴, the fund’s management team includes geolocation technology company TomTom, Esri, Hyundai, Niantic and TripAdvisor. By combining various data sources, project participants will be able to use for mapping both open data sets, in particular from OpenStreetMap and government sources, and internal databases of companies, including Google, which, by the way, is not mentioned among the participants in the initiative.

Overture Maps Foundation Executive Director Marc Prioleau noted that one of the main challenges of the project is the process of combining and reconciling data from different sources, since at its core this is an extremely painstaking process that includes numerous checks and removal of duplicates. Priolo also emphasized the importance of the participation of companies that share their best practices. For example, Meta✴ provided information about places from Facebook✴, which made it possible to enrich the map.

The Overture Maps Foundation currently has only two full-time employees: Executive Director Mark Priolo and CTO Amy Rose. In addition, the foundation has recruited about 10 contractors to receive engineering support from the Linux Foundation.