[OSM-talk] Will Google ever use OSM data?

[Ian Dees]

On Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 6:42 PM, Kai Krueger <kakrueger at gmail.com> wrote:

> Sam Vekemans wrote:
> > Once the Open Database Licence is sorted out at our end.
> >
> > http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Open_Database_License
> >
> > I think that they will :)
>
> Unfortunately I am not so sure and I would interpret Googles recent
> activity as making it less likely for them to use OSM anytime soon. With
> the move to drop TeleAtlas as map provider in the US and switch to use
> their own map data including a "report a problem" feature, as well as
> their increased activity with Google Mapmaker in many other countries it
> seems Google is trying to enter the map data owner business with all
> their might. Google has thus turned in my opinion from a potential
> future user of OSM data into a major competitor. Google might even turn
> into a tougher competitor for OSM than Navteq or TeleAtlas, as they are
> using some of the same advantages as OSM, crowd sourcing and providing
> mapping data for free,


I know you prefaced this phrase with "might," but Google is almost certainly
not going to give away the map data they built up for free. This is the
difference between Google and OSM. Google's business model is based on the
work they do collecting the world's data and making it easily searchable.
There is definitely room in the world for OSM -- where we ask for
crowd-sourced data and give it back, too.


> On the other hand, google has given a significant contribution towards
> the new server fund back in April, sponsored SoTM in the past and
> sponsored OSM projects through GSoC. So who knows what Google is
> planning. I for sure don't have a clue and just thought I'd share by
> uninformed 0.02$ ;-)
>

There are two things I've repeatedly heard from several Google employees
(not speaking officially, of course):
1. OSM is interesting and should not give up simply because Google is
pushing into the Geo space. They are emphatic about this. I've heard it from
managers and engineers both.
2. Since so much of their business is based on open source software, Google
supports open source software itself as much as possible. They spend
millions of dollars and hours to support open source.
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