Evidence in iOS 5 that Apple is Building Its Own Mapping Solution

[MacRumors]

Despite statements by Google's former CEO that Apple had "just" renewed their Map partnership with Google, there appears to be evidence that Apple has been working on its own mapping solution in iOS 5.

It's certainly no secret that Apple is actively working on some sort of mapping solution. In the past few years, Apple has acquired two mapping companies Placebase and Poly9. The company has also been actively recruiting for job applicants with navigation software experience and has even revealed work on a future crowds-sourced traffic database.

Now, a look at the legal disclaimers found in iOS 5 reveal a new section called "Map Data". This section lists licenses from an extensive number of third party companies that provide mapping data and related services.




This entire section is new in iOS 5's legal section and does not appear to be related to Google's own mapping data licenses. Google's own legal terms for their map data is distinct, and many of the companies do not overlap. In fact, one of the listed traffic-data companies is a competitor to Google's Maps.

The companies listed in iOS 5's legal notices include the following diverse companies under the "Map Data" section:

- CoreLogic offers Parcel data which marks boundaries for of properties to provide positional accuracy in location-based solutions.
- Getchee provides location and market data on China, India and Southeast Asia.
- Increment P Corp provides location and traffic data for Japan.
- Localeze provides local business listings.
- MapData Sciences Pty Ltd. Inc provides mapping data for Australia and New Zealand.
- DMTI provides postal code data for Canada.
- TomTom offers global TeleAtlas mapping data which is also licensed by Google for their map solution.
- Urban Mapping provides in-depth neighborhood data such as crime, demographics, school performance, economic indicators and more.
- Waze offers real-time maps and traffic information based on crowd sourced data.

The last two companies are perhaps the most interesting. Urban Mapping offers extensive additional data over traditional mapping products. The company was even a partner of Placebase's back in 2007 before Apple's acquisition. Meanwhile, Waze seems to be exactly what Apple was talking about when they hinted at crowd-sourced traffic data. Waze offers mobile apps that can be used to send data back to a central database to show realtime traffic data.

Given the news of Apple's recent agreement with Google, it may be that Apple's own solution wasn't ready for iOS 5, so we may have to wait a while before we see what Apple's been working on.

Thanks @_Craigy

Article Link: Evidence in iOS 5 that Apple is Building Its Own Mapping Solution

 

[arn]

full text of map data legal notices

Map Data:

Map data © AND.

Property parcel data for USA. © CoreLogic Inc., 2011.

Map data © Getchee, 2011.

© INCREMENT P CORP., 2011, http://www.incrementp.co.jp/gc01info/e/legal01.html.

Business Listing data © Localeze, 2011.

Mapping data for Australia and New Zealand. © MapData Sciences Pty Ltd.Inc., 2011, PSMA http://www.nowwhere.com.au/lic/NowWhereLic.htm

Postal data © DMTI, 2011. This software contains Postal Code OM Data copied by Apple under a sub-license from DMTI Spatial Inc., a party directly licensed by Canada Post Corporation. The Canada Post Corporation file from which this data was copied is dated [insert date].

© TomTom. All rights reserved. This material is proprietary and the subject of copyright protection, database right protection and other intellectual property rights owned by TomTom or its suppliers. The use of this material is subject to the terms of a license agreement. Any unauthorized copying or disclosure of this material will lead to criminal and civil liabilities. // MultiNet® North America, © 2006 – 2011 TomTom. All rights reserved. This material is proprietary and the subject of copyright protection and other intellectual property rights owned or licensed to TomTom. TomTom is an authorized user of selected Statistics Canada computer files and distributor of derived information products under Agreement number 6776. The product is sourced in part from Statistics Canada computer files, including 2009 Road Network File (RNF), 92-500-XWE/XWF and 2006 Census Population and Dwelling Count Highlight Tables, 97-550-XWE2006002. The product includes information copied with permission from Canadian authorities, including © Canada Post Corporation, GeoBase®, and Department of Natural Resources Canada, All rights reserved. The use of this material is subject to the terms of a License Agreement. You will be held liable for any unauthorized copying or disclosure of this material. // MultiNet® South East Asia, Base data © Bakosurtanal. // MultiNet® Europe, Data Source © 2011 TomTom based on: MultiNet® data of Austria © BEV, GZ 1368/2003; MultiNet® data of Denmark © DAV, violation of these copyrights shall cause legal proceedings; MultiNet® data of Northern Ireland Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland; MultiNet® data of Norway © Norwegian Mapping Authority, Public Roads Administration / © Mapsolutions; MultiNet® data of Russia © Roskartographia; MultiNet® data of Switzerland © Swisstopo; MultiNet® data of The Netherlands Topografische onderground Copyright © dienst voor het kadaster en de openbare registers, Apeldoorn 2006; MultiNet® data of France © IGN France.

Neighborhood data © Urban Mapping, 2011.

Map data © 2011 Waze.

 

[wordoflife]

Well that's neat. Maps could use a bit of an update. If they do GPS, I hope they have an option to keep the maps installed on your phone. I say option because if you don't use the maps that much or have unlimited data ... then you don't really need it. Or if you are stuck on a capped plan but need GPS, you probably don't want to have to download the maps.

 

[iStudentUK]

Google Maps is fantastic. The app itself on iToys could be improved, but why go to the effort of making a whole new map format and collect data when Google has it all already?!

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.4; en-gb; Google Nexus S Build/MIUI) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

The end of the standalone GPS unit is nigh.

 

[iBug2]

Google Maps is fantastic. The app itself on iToys could be improved, but why go to the effort of making a whole new map format and collect data when Google has it all already?!

Who knows? It'd cost less this way maybe?

 

[513]

Maybe it's just because Google Maps also use third party companies providing mapping data where Google Cars didn't go. And Apple had to mention them ?

 

[gullySn0wCat]

Apple... stick with Google... you don't want to make the next Bing maps

 

[*LTD*]

Google Maps is fantastic. The app itself on iToys could be improved, but why go to the effort of making a whole new map format and collect data when Google has it all already?!

To become more self-sufficient.

 

[arn]

Maybe it's just because Google Maps also use third party companies providing mapping data where Google Cars didn't go. And Apple had to mention them ?

If you read the article, it says that Google uses different sources for some of the same data. Also, one of the companies listed is a competitor to Google Maps local traffic feature.

arn

 

[The Phazer]

To become more self-sufficient.

With the remaining problem that you cannot (literally cannot - it is impossible) create as comprehensive a business location database as Google maps has unless you own the world's most important search engine as well to encourage busineses to submit up to date listings.

So once again Apple's ideology would lead to a worse customer experience, if true.

Phazer

 

[BornAgainMac]

So far the mapping feature on the iPhone has been really useful. After using it for a few years, I almost take it for granted now.

 

[Biolizard]

We've seen this before. Internet Explorer for Mac led to Safari.

 

[iphonepiephone]

Good for them, I say. They take something and make it better, usually. Why not!

 

[arn]

With the remaining problem that you cannot (literally cannot - it is impossible) create as comprehensive a business location database as Google maps has unless you own the world's most important search engine as well to encourage busineses to submit up to date listings.

I don't believe that. You're suggesting that Google Maps gets all its data from user submissions? Link?

According to Google they get at least some of their business listings from Acxiom Corporation and/or infoUSA Inc.

arn

 

[gullySn0wCat]

Is that true? I don't believe it. You're suggesting that Google Maps gets all its data from user submissions? Link?

According to Google they get some of their business listings from Acxiom Corporation and/or infoUSA Inc.

arn

If you go to Google maps, you can register you business location etc. I think that's what he meant.

 

[*LTD*]

So does this have anything to do with Apple's Placebase acquisition?

 

[slifty]

"Despite statements by Google's former CEO that Apple had "just" renewed their Map partnership with Apple"

I think you want that second apple to be Google; although maybe you mean Apple renewed Googles partnership with Apple? In any case, the sentence is very confusing and the meaning of "their" is gramatically unclear...

Just a note in case you have a chance to fix it idk what your copy edit policies are!

 

[smoge]

Google Maps is fantastic. The app itself on iToys could be improved, but why go to the effort of making a whole new map format and collect data when Google has it all already?!

Lazy! if every one said that then we would have never of invented the iphone. O nokia have a phone why do we need to make 1?

 

[ranReloaded]

With the remaining problem that you cannot (literally cannot - it is impossible) create as comprehensive a business location database as Google maps has unless you own the world's most important search engine as well to encourage busineses to submit up to date listings.

So once again Apple's ideology would lead to a worse customer experience, if true.

Phazer

You make it sound as though Google is abusing its near-monopoly in Search in order to create a monopoly in Maps?

 

[Jerome Morrow]

You make it sound as though Google is abusing its near-monopoly in Search in order to create a monopoly in Maps?

Isn't it?

 

[Dr McKay]

To become more self-sufficient.

Thats the first thing you've ever said that I've agreed with.

 

[World Citizen]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.4; en-gb; Google Nexus S Build/MIUI) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

The end of the standalone GPS unit is nigh.

Not even a bit...
If I am 5 days in the mountains... I need to change some batteries... I cant do that on the iPhone. And I am not going to take 5 3th party batteries with me. I need the space for food and drinks and maybe even a bit of soap.

These things are fun ... but when you use GPS like we do.. its a no-go.

 

[iStudentUK]

Lazy! if every one said that then we would have never of invented the iphone. O nokia have a phone why do we need to make 1?

Invention for the sake of invention is pointless, at least commercially. Google have an excellent database, there is so much data at their hands. Improve on the app itself, adjust the UI, improve GPS features, integrate it better with the rest of iOS etc. That way we get the best of both worlds- a comprehensive map that is very easy to use and packed with features.

 

[Jerome Morrow]

Not even a bit...
If I am 5 days in the mountains... I need to change some batteries... I cant do that on the iPhone. And I am not going to take 5 3th party batteries with me. I need the space for food and drinks and maybe even a bit of soap.

These things are fun ... but when you use GPS like we do.. its a no-go.

Some battety packs for charging iOS devices are no bigger than a piece of soap, so i think if you really needed you'd survive adding an extra 'soap' to your backpack.