The GIS Workflow
If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years it is that workflows are critical to creating a repeatable, defensible process. The thing with GIS is that we’ve got to use so many different file formats and systems1. I’ve been working on a relatively simple workflow, one that must be automated. The whole process is stuck on a proprietary format by a vendor who makes Esri look like an open book. Workflows generally are very easy to automate because so much of what we do in GIS is based upon APIs. Heck we were using APIs before we know what we were working with was an API2. But too much of what we do is based upon needing a license to export a binary format into an open one.
We can talk all we want about open data formats, LAS battles and every other GIS format war we want to argue about, but in the end we are usually up against a format that can’t be cracked, can’t be avoided or contractually is required. The binary format industrial complex is strong but I refuse to be backed into these corners anymore. Time to pivot into taking down this one.
Run away from the binary file industrial complex!
DigitalGlobe has a Maps API and brought along Mapbox
So DigitalGlobe has an API in beta. Funny thing is when I first went to the page I saw this popup for the “first 100 customers”:
Get DigitalGlobe Maps API now for the introductory price of $1 per 1,000 views
I guess they don’t have 100 customers yet. But let’s get beyond the question if it’s even relevant that DG has an API and look at their offering:
They’ve got two versions of their imagery API. One that is global and has high frequency updates and one that is color balanced but only regional (and probably not updated often). But what we really want to see is the API, right? Well look at the splash page:
This is why we created a mapping API just for you: easily access our compelling high-resolution imagery of the earth along with fantastic stylized basemap content from Mapbox. We want you to use our imagery in your apps, no matter if you’re an industry giant or a promising startup. We believe our imagery is the standard upon which all others are measured, and we want you to benefit from our expertise.
Remember this partnership from 3 years ago? Don’t be so surprised to see Mapbox there. The plans have been put into motion to see Mapbox integrated with many other vendors but here we have DigitalGlobe’s API built on top of Mapbox. I’m not sure if DG’s API will be popular but at least we know it’s a robust, easy to use and powerful API.
What’s the most interesting part of all this is Esri is not to be found. DG and Esri have had a long time relationship but I think DG has realized that deals with Esri only benefit Esri. Best of luck to DG and Mapbox!
DigitalGlobe has a Maps API and brought along Mapbox
So DigitalGlobe has an API in beta. Funny thing is when I first went to the page I saw this popup for the “first 100 customers”:
Get DigitalGlobe Maps API now for the introductory price of $1 per 1,000 views
I guess they don’t have 100 customers yet. But let’s get beyond the question if it’s even relevant that DG has an API and look at their offering:
They’ve got two versions of their imagery API. One that is global and has high frequency updates and one that is color balanced but only regional (and probably not updated often). But what we really want to see is the API, right? Well look at the splash page:
This is why we created a mapping API just for you: easily access our compelling high-resolution imagery of the earth along with fantastic stylized basemap content from Mapbox. We want you to use our imagery in your apps, no matter if you’re an industry giant or a promising startup. We believe our imagery is the standard upon which all others are measured, and we want you to benefit from our expertise.
Remember this partnership from 3 years ago? Don’t be so surprised to see Mapbox there. The plans have been put into motion to see Mapbox integrated with many other vendors but here we have DigitalGlobe’s API built on top of Mapbox. I’m not sure if DG’s API will be popular but at least we know it’s a robust, easy to use and powerful API.
What’s the most interesting part of all this is Esri is not to be found. DG and Esri have had a long time relationship but I think DG has realized that deals with Esri only benefit Esri. Best of luck to DG and Mapbox!
SpatialTau v2.10 — For Sale, GIS Data Provider, Will Take Best Offer
SpatialTau is my weekly newsletter that goes out every Wednesday. The archive shows up in my blog a month after the newsletter is published. If you’d like to subscribe, please do so here.
So over the weekend Bloomberg dropped this news:
Nokia Oyj is exploring the sale of its maps business as the Finnish equipment maker focuses on boosting growth at its wireless-network unit and improving its debt rating, according to people familiar with the matter.
Nokia has reached out to potential buyers including Uber Technologies Inc., the mobile car-booking application, and private-equity firms, the people said. A group of German carmakers has also shown interest, the people said, and bids for the unit are expected as soon as this month.
A couple notes. First I find it very interesting that they list Uber as a potential buyer over Microsoft and others. Not that Microsoft wouldn’t be interested; just that Uber is the one they felt like they wanted to lead with. Probably has to do much with Uber buying deCarta but I think it shows how little people value this data anymore given that Apple and Google already have their own map databases, OpenStreetMap is out there and available for everyone to use and most people don’t really think about owning the map anymore.
Clearly my gut tells me that Microsoft will want to own the Bing Maps data but maybe they don’t really care. The value for Apple/Google/Microsoft as mobile platforms is in the POIs and routing, not the visualization. I’m sure that part Microsoft already has down solid (my 4Runner actually uses Bing Maps POI database for navigation, not that I actually use it myself). A couple years ago everyone would have said Microsoft has to buy this but clearly when they bought the mobile phone division of Nokia, they didn’t care to buy the maps business with it (when it would have been a rounding error on the final purchase price). I honestly doubt they’ll make a bid for it today.
Thus maybe that’s why Bloomberg went with Uber as the lead company in their story, because they are who would most be interested in the data. Uber itself probably has figured out if they can use OSM data or if they need to have a proprietary map database such as Navteq (or HERE as I guess it’s called now). GIS data just isn’t as valuable as it once was. ”Free” maps from Apple and Google along with free maps from OpenStreetMap have disrupted the GIS data business. Most people would rather just pay someone else to handle the mapping (such as Google or MapBox) and use the APIs. The need to buy Navteq or TomTom has greatly diminished and even Apple who prides itself on controling everything doesn’t seem to need to buy TomTom to control the data. Thus I think Microsoft will follow suit.
I’m honestly really interested to see if they can sell HERE/Navteq. I don’t see much interest but I’m sure if they really want to move it, they’ll find someone to buy it. If it is a company like Uber, it could mean the end to HERE/Navteq as a product. Time will tell!
SpatialTau v2.10 — For Sale, GIS Data Provider, Will Take Best Offer
SpatialTau is my weekly newsletter that goes out every Wednesday. The archive shows up in my blog a month after the newsletter is published. If you’d like to subscribe, please do so here.
So over the weekend Bloomberg dropped this news:
Nokia Oyj is exploring the sale of its maps business as the Finnish equipment maker focuses on boosting growth at its wireless-network unit and improving its debt rating, according to people familiar with the matter.
Nokia has reached out to potential buyers including Uber Technologies Inc., the mobile car-booking application, and private-equity firms, the people said. A group of German carmakers has also shown interest, the people said, and bids for the unit are expected as soon as this month.
A couple notes. First I find it very interesting that they list Uber as a potential buyer over Microsoft and others. Not that Microsoft wouldn’t be interested; just that Uber is the one they felt like they wanted to lead with. Probably has to do much with Uber buying deCarta but I think it shows how little people value this data anymore given that Apple and Google already have their own map databases, OpenStreetMap is out there and available for everyone to use and most people don’t really think about owning the map anymore.
Clearly my gut tells me that Microsoft will want to own the Bing Maps data but maybe they don’t really care. The value for Apple/Google/Microsoft as mobile platforms is in the POIs and routing, not the visualization. I’m sure that part Microsoft already has down solid (my 4Runner actually uses Bing Maps POI database for navigation, not that I actually use it myself). A couple years ago everyone would have said Microsoft has to buy this but clearly when they bought the mobile phone division of Nokia, they didn’t care to buy the maps business with it (when it would have been a rounding error on the final purchase price). I honestly doubt they’ll make a bid for it today.
Thus maybe that’s why Bloomberg went with Uber as the lead company in their story, because they are who would most be interested in the data. Uber itself probably has figured out if they can use OSM data or if they need to have a proprietary map database such as Navteq (or HERE as I guess it’s called now). GIS data just isn’t as valuable as it once was. ”Free” maps from Apple and Google along with free maps from OpenStreetMap have disrupted the GIS data business. Most people would rather just pay someone else to handle the mapping (such as Google or MapBox) and use the APIs. The need to buy Navteq or TomTom has greatly diminished and even Apple who prides itself on controling everything doesn’t seem to need to buy TomTom to control the data. Thus I think Microsoft will follow suit.
I’m honestly really interested to see if they can sell HERE/Navteq. I don’t see much interest but I’m sure if they really want to move it, they’ll find someone to buy it. If it is a company like Uber, it could mean the end to HERE/Navteq as a product. Time will tell!
Google Map Maker Returns
You may recall that Google took down Map Maker blaming it on algorithms.
Certain offensive search terms were triggering unexpected maps results, typically because people had used the offensive term in online discussions of the place. This surfaced inappropriate results that users likely weren’t looking for.
Well Google has apparently figured out a plan to allow people to start editing the Google map data.
Map Maker will be reopened for editing in early August, and we’re looking for users to now have more influence over the outcome of edits in their specific countries. This means that edits on Map Maker will be increasingly made open for moderation by the community. While some edits will still require moderation by Google operators, our loyal users will recognize that this is a departure from how we have operated in the past where majority of your edits were reviewed by Google operators. This has been a request you’ve made for a very long time, and this change should, hopefully, come as good news.
Community editing, who knew? Google will be “selecting” mappers around the world to be “Regional Leads” on Map Maker. I’m not sure why anyone would want this title but I guess we’ll see soon enough what it entails. Edits have to be moderated before they are published to the map so the quick updates that happened before (and of course happen with OSM) won’t work for Google. I think though considering how things went last time, any change is good for Google.