Over the past decade, the world has witnessed a remarkable transformation, driven by the exponential growth of geospatial data technology. This technological evolution has not only given rise to new business models but has also opened doors to entirely new industries. Today, the insatiable demand for precise geospatial data and cutting-edge mapping technologies underscores their pivotal role in helping us comprehend the complex world around us.
Location data is omnipresent, yet often trapped within proprietary platforms. Integrating this data and making it compatible with other systems remains a formidable challenge. Instead of focusing on creating innovative applications and solutions for customers, developers find themselves investing valuable time and resources in deciphering and harmonizing location data. This lack of interoperability continues to drain millions of dollars annually from the geolocation industry.
The pressing questions arise: Why is location data confined within proprietary ecosystems? Why is it so arduous to incorporate one’s data seamlessly? How can we harness the wealth of untapped potential in location data and location-based applications? The collective sentiment is that there must be a better way, one where map data becomes universally accessible and user-friendly. Imagine the competitive edge that can be gained by democratizing location data and making it effortlessly usable.
To grasp the concept more vividly, consider the example of shipping containers. This seemingly simple invention serves as an apt analogy for how standardization can revolutionize an entire industry. The global logistics sector owes its efficiency and cost-effectiveness to the interoperability of standardized shipping containers, which transformed the movement of goods across continents. This is precisely what the modern digital mapmaking industry requires today.
Drawing Inspiration from Past Innovations
In 1956, Malcolm McLean, a visionary entrepreneur from California, introduced the standard shipping container—a seemingly straightforward invention that turned out to be one of the most consequential innovations of all time. McLean’s invention facilitated the efficient loading of cargo into uniform containers, which were standardized in size and design. These containers could then be easily transported, loaded onto ships using uniform machinery, and delivered across the globe. This breakthrough dramatically slashed the cost of global goods transportation.
However, McLean’s visionary approach extended beyond the invention itself. He made the patents for his creation available through a royalty-free lease, enabling shipbuilders, port operators, and logistics companies to manufacture boats, trucks, equipment, and tools that seamlessly aligned with these standardized containers. As more stakeholders adopted these containers, global logistics operations became more efficient and economical.
Analogously, geolocation tech companies today grapple with the challenge of handling non-standard location data and integrating it into their systems. They are akin to shipping non-standard cargo to non-standard ports and must meticulously analyze each piece of data, discern its destination, storage requirements, manipulation methods, and sharing mechanisms—all while ensuring compatibility within their systems.
Viewed through this lens, it becomes evident that standardizing how location data and digital maps are transported and exchanged between systems (or “ships”) is imperative. Furthermore, like McLean, this standardization should be open and accessible for anyone to adopt or collaborate on.
The Business Case for Standardization
Modern digital maps are intricate constructs, comprising layers of data tailored to specific needs. At the foundational level lies the base map, with additional layers providing information about traffic, visualizations, routing, and points of interest (POIs). Geospatial engineers must source data from numerous providers, each maintaining data in different formats and structures. Even when sources convey identical information, there is no guarantee of standardized conventions. Thus, engineers face the daunting task of aggregating, harmonizing, and integrating diverse data sources.
Standardization emerges as the unequivocal solution, yet implementing it in the realm of mapmaking and location technology, already intricate and costly, presents challenges. The solution lies in a universally accessible base map for the world—a collaborative effort to create a reliable, user-friendly, and interoperable location database, shared under an open data license.
Such a unified reference point would save time, resources, and effort. Companies would no longer grapple with the dilemma of making disparate services cooperate or selecting a solitary map vendor. Instead, they would have access to a freely available and open base map. Simultaneously, the location industry’s focus would shift from the base map to the layers and services built upon it—adding value and meeting the demands of today’s location-focused tech companies.
This approach streamlines operations, empowering location tech companies to allocate their resources to core innovation rather than data normalization. In turn, the industry and end-users reap the benefits of improved, cost-effective location products and services.
In conclusion, today’s digital economy hinges on agile and precise mapping solutions. Through standardization and enhanced interoperability, the location tech industry can unleash its true potential. By eliminating the need to build maps from scratch, developers can concentrate on converting location data into actionable insights, fostering innovation, catalyzing growth, and maintaining a competitive edge. In the same way that standardized shipping containers transformed global trade, standardizing geospatial data can usher in a new era of efficiency and prosperity in the location tech industry.
